Can't feel/find anything on forearm or hand, but I feel (what I thought was nice vein) on radial area.
OK, so I stick w/a 20g & rcvd. an immed. flashback. Started to think I might have hit an artery by the color, but thought "no way could this be an artery so close to the surface" & continued to fill my tubes & secure iv lock.
(Shoot, i should have realized by the mess I made & the pt's pain reaction!)
NOW I see pulsating in line, I'm quietly freaking out inside & bring dr. over & YEP....it's an artery!!!!
I remove & apply pressure apprx 5min.
Now I ask you......anyone....what, if any, damage I may have done?
I have started sooo many lines & have never come across an artery so close the surface.
(By the way, dr went for an left EJ & it blew, so no iv lock.)
I thought of this later on regarding the saline flush...
Remember, with arterial lines, we do have the constant slow-flow of heparinized or normal saline, but those also get fast flushes of saline every few hours for maintenance. Sometimes after a blood draw I know I probably flush at least a couple of ounces worth of NS into that artery.
Just wanted to throw that in in case it further calms your nerves.
I am a former Paramedic and I have seen many paramedics do the same thing. They checked for a pulse on the vein before sticking but then blood backs up in the tubing which gave them a clue something was wrong. It all came out in the wash but we learn from mistakes and sometimes they just happen. Chalk it up as a learning experience. You will see everything from time to time.:redbeathe
I got a patient up from ER with an IV in the artery once. I called IV therapy and they were not concerned. I dc'd it and started one (in a vein), documented and never heard anything else about it.
Kerrigan 06
53 Posts
I thought of this later on regarding the saline flush...
Remember, with arterial lines, we do have the constant slow-flow of heparinized or normal saline, but those also get fast flushes of saline every few hours for maintenance. Sometimes after a blood draw I know I probably flush at least a couple of ounces worth of NS into that artery.
Just wanted to throw that in in case it further calms your nerves.