assessing iv sites

[pmshiftrn, BSN, RN]

Can someone tell me what is meant by "positive signs" when assessing IV site prior to med administration. Does it refer to infiltration, phlebitis, etc? Thanks! :heartbeat

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Yes. It is leaving off the rest of the sentence. . ."positive signs of phlebitis", "positive signs of infiltration" instead of documenting exactly what they see and observed. For example, "A 3 inch area of redness noted above the IV site which is painful to the touch," is more appropriate to chart. Or, "the entire wrist for 6 inches above the IV site is noticeably swollen compared with the opposite arm and pits when pressure is applied to the skin. IV infusion stopped."