blanket/iv fluid warmer

[jenneff04]

i came from a system where we put iv fluid bags in a blanket warmer (which was designated for fluids only). i recently relocated and am now working for an urgent care. until now, i was under the impression that all systems warmed their fluids before doing an iv bolus. i came from an ER that used a rapid infuser for traumas, etc. but for the everyday bolus, we hung warm fluids to gravity and ran them in. the UC im working in has never heard of warming fluids. every time i bolus a patient as ordered, the pt shivers uncontrollably and their body temp drops remarkably even when they are covered with blankets. i asked our manager about obtaining a warmer and her head exploded. i need research to back me up. does anyone know where i can start looking for data? i called our main hospital and was told that "nobody in our system uses a warmer" am i out of touch? do people really give iv boluses with room temp fluid (72 degrees F)? is this the standard practice?

[RN1989]

The only places I have worked where we could bolus with warm fluids was ICU and OR. Regular units don't have access to warm fluids and I've given many a bolus on the floor without the fluid being warm. Not necessarily the best but unavoidable. Warmers, including blood warmers, are too expensive and rare. Of course most of the time that a patient on the floor needs a really fast bolus - they are already headed downhill and are so miserable that they aren't paying attention to the temp of the fluid. Good convincing them. $$$$$ is the reason you almost saw her head explode. I'm sure that infection control would have a cow if you used the hot tap water or arm-pit warmers but both methods help a little.

[jenneff04]

i am currently writing up a request to obtain money from our hospital charity committee. they seem willing to do it so im trying to find research as to why it benefits pts. if you hear of anyplace i can get info, i would appreciate it.

[RN1989]

Here's a place to look. One of the sites has references for articles about warming IVFs.

http://www.warmiv.com/pages/4/index.htm

http://www.helpher.org/health-professionals/hg-protocol.php

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

We have a warmer for fluids and hot air blankets, but they are used for frozen emergency blood, hypothermia cases, or as ordered by MD. Regular IV boluses are room temperature in our ER.

Maisy;)