has anyone ever discharged a patient with their IV still in?

Nurses General Nursing

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I discharged a patient and forgot to d/c the IV. I feel like an idiot. Am I the only one?

I haven't done this yet, but I believe we have had one pt, who refused to let his nurse take out his IV when he was dc'd. Idk how that story ended, i.e. if it had to be let in.

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I've never left one in but during my time as an EMT we had several calls to remove heps left in..don't feel like an idiot..it happens.

If you feel like an idiot how much of a bigger idiot is the patient that forgets they have a needle in their hand/arm.. (sheepishly raises hand..yes, I am the bigger idiot..I bolted out of the hospital ASAP after my doc d/c'd me..totally forgot about the hep lock)

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If you've left the needle in the arm, you really are an idiot. The catheter is what is in the blood vessel.

Having said that, our hospital is considered "inner city" you'd be surprised at the number of patients who ask us to leave it in for shall we say "recreational use". We've had patients shoot up via their PICC.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
If you've left the needle in the arm, you really are an idiot. The catheter is what is in the blood vessel.

Having said that, our hospital is considered "inner city" you'd be surprised at the number of patients who ask us to leave it in for shall we say "recreational use". We've had patients shoot up via their PICC.

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah: Yes they do!!!!!

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Specializes in Oncology.

Most of our patients go home with their central lines. I was a patient once and was sent home with my IV. Noticed it when I got home. Pulled it myself. No one from the hospital ever called.

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Specializes in Surgical ICU.

personally, never, since I rarely discharge patients home in the ICU. But even when I just discharge patients to another floor its just a natural check for me and the other nurses to review all their lines because some lines are managed on the floor and some are not so we have to d/c them before they leave. Even if certain central lines are able to be managed on the floor we always request to d/c them if we don't think the patient needs it anymore.

I don't think you're an idiot because crap happens, but isn't that a major major liability if the patient was to get hurt by say infection (Some patients are crazy or just cognitively not there enough to EVER call back) or recreational drug use? for that, although it was an extremely easy mistake, I wouldn't take it lightly. So even if the patient purposely tried to get out of the hospital with it due to drug use, if he died, it could come back to you. Addiction is an illness, and so is depression. So if you let them out the hospital with something that could lead to their injury (an IV line, medication carelessly left on a counter, etc.) it could come back to haunt you.

For now,.. don't sweat it. In the future,.. be very careful. Make it a habit to check for lines before you hand them their discharge papers... if they leave before you hand them the discharge papers then its them leaving AMA and not your fault. :)

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Specializes in Adult Oncology.

I forgot to deaccess a mediport once. Pt was being transferred to a SNF via transport service on a Friday, and was going for OP chemo on Monday. The SNF had no idea how to deaccess, so I called the MD who said to leave the mediport accessed and that way they wouldn't have to reaccess him on Monday. Thank God. The SNF was all the way on the other side of town and I really didn't want him to have to get transported back just to deaccess it.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Never forgot but I had one guy sneak out down the back stairway while I was getting his discharge paperwork together. We called and told him he needed to come back and get the paperwork and let us remove the HL. He said "oh I had that thing out before I got home."

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you bet. I had no idea I'd forgotten it. Pt called asking if it was ok to go ahead and take it out, he was cool about it and actually thought it was pretty funny. I did not, I was pretty embarrassed. Hey, it happens.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I've done it

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.

To answer your question: Yes, most certainly I have done this also.

You made me remember a story from when I was working my first year too lol. I D/C'd a girl, in with, [sigh] abdominal pain. She had made it very clear she was VERY MUCH loving the dilaudid they gave her, she couldn't get enough. It was a bit of a hassle getting her to the point where she realized it was time to leave. After MANY discussions with doctors and case management though, she was discharged. I don't think there was a single person associated with her care who hadn't decided she was drug seeking though.

Well, being new and oh so determined not to judge, I insisted she was not faking and felt terrible for her. I gave her the D/C instructions and TONS of info. on diet, her medications and everything you could think of. Even arranged for a taxi ride home for her. As soon as I was done explaining the D/C instructions, she jumped up and proclaimed she needed to bath and get dressed. Even started removing her clothes. I, of course, being a male nurse, pulled the curtain and gave her the privacy due to her.

She left the water running, waited till I was out of sight, and slipped out down the steps (happened to be right next door to her room). Left her D/C papers behind and disappeared. I told my manager and the charge nurse immediately. They handled it for me. They called her home and left a message that she had to return. An hour later, when she hadn't they left another message and made it clear it was the "final" message. Again, an hour passed, no sign of her.........so they informed the local police. Said police went to her home and brought her in. The IV was removed, and she was told she could leave (this time, no cab ride offered). I was gone when she was brought into the ER, but I found out a few days later her response was "They only last a few days anyway, not like I could go on using it and using it. What's all the fuss about? I figured you guys would be happy knowing someone was using this instead of needles. YOU KNOW............LIKE, prevent the spread of disease and all. This is a hospital, right? You guys don't understand much about health though."

Alrighty then.

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Don't feel like an idiot. It happens.

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