How to measure IV fluid level in plastic container?

[stardust0509]

What is the proper way to measure the amount of IV fluid left in a plastic container? Some patients with IV fluid don't have infusion pumps. So how can I get an accurate measurement?

[mcknis]

There isn't a clear way to do this since the volume indicators are separated by hundred increments. The only way I can think of is hep lock patient, remove IV with tubing and measure fluid remaining in graduate, then get new bag of IVF for administration. May not be the easiest way, but you would be keeping the patient safe and able to measure fluid adequately. You should be running all medications via pump, though.

[casi, ASN, RN]

Eyeball it. If they are just getting IV Fluids and aren't at risk of going into fluid overload I'd just eyeball it.

[IVRUS, BSN, RN]

What is the proper way to measure the amount of IV fluid left in a plastic container? Some patients with IV fluid don't have infusion pumps. So how can I get an accurate measurement?

That is one of the disadvantages of plastic bags: The fluid levels are difficlut to read. However, each long incremental marking on a liter bag is 100cc, shorter marks are in 50cc increments by most manufacturers of IV flud bags. Holding the bag up on each corner from the top, look at the corresponding line and then assess how many milliliters have infused out of the bag. I agree with a previous poster who stated that this should be on a pump. I encourage anything over 500 cc should be on a pump, in an ideal situation.

[brownbook]

I work out patient surgery and GI clinic. We never use pumps. I can't foresee ever having pumps on patients coming in for a 1 - 3 hour surgery or procedure, going home 1 - 2 hours after. It seems if I try to get real exact, hold the corners or such, the fluid level changes slightly!

[CCL RN, RN]

Honestly, if they don't require a pump then they don't require accurate measurements. Eyeball it...you'll find your estimates will be pretty accurate.

[OttawaRPN]

Pumps are not always available for every patient on IVF, so suggesting pumps should always be used is unrealistic and impractical advice.

[coolpeach]

I work on a busy ortho trauma unit and we almost never use pumps. We do use them for certain medication or for renal patients who require very precise fluid control.

Otherwise I do as an above poster said, and hold at the top corners, and count by 100 cc's what is remaining, and subtract from 1000 cc's.

It bothers me sometimes because the Dr will order 85 cc's/hr or 100 ccs/hr etc, and at the end of the shift it is often not even close. At one point I even started putting dial a flows on all my patients to make sure it wasn't an error in setting my drip rate, and it still ends up very off. I mentioned this to my preceptor when in orientation, and was told that the pt's not on pumps didn't require such precision, and therefor it was ok. Still bugs me though.

[wondern, ASN]

You could try a piece of tape placed long ways on your bag with marked time increments corresponding to the hourly drip rate, marked on the tape beginning with the time it was hung. Still not exact but at least you get a quick idea of where it should be and when.