How much air is too much

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Specializes in Trauma/Ortho/Neuro.

How do you handle the alarm by the IV pumps , when it says: Air in line. Some pumps let you advance it , others don't. I heard one RN say that if the bubble is the size of champagne bubble it will not harm the patient. I had a patient in a panic rip his IV out cause he saw a tiny bubble traveling up his IV line. He was in total panic and thought that once this bubble reaches his blood stream he would surely die.

ANybody have any thoughts and rational for me?

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Usually I'll just advance it, but if it's a large bubble, I'll either draw it out with a syringe or flick it up the tubing to the drip chamber.

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A pulmonologist told me that it would take a 10cc filled with air to actually bring harm to a patient. I typically do the flicking to drip chamber when the alarm is going off or run a few cc's through the line.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ER.

I have been told with our new Alaris pumps you would need to have as much air to fill the IV tubing to cause an air embolism. I don't know how accurate this is and I'm not up for experimenting though. If I'm using a pump without a back prime feature I just disconnect and set the rate to 999 to reprime. Better to be safe than sorry.

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I haven't looked this up since I was a student many years ago. I found several sources all agreed that the entire length of IV tubing would have to contain air AND it would have to be administered quickly to cause any problems. Patients freak out about seeing a bubble so you can now reassure them.

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A quick search and the sources agree: "Rapid introduction of air into the venous circulation of greater than 300 to 500 cc at a rate of 100 cc/s is considered to be fatal."

What volume does an IV line hold?

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a co-worker told me it's 100cc of air that makes it dangerous

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

a doctor i used to work with told me it takes atleast 20ml injected directly of air atleast to cause any damage to the patient. i don't have any plans of seeing how accurate that is tho.

if it's a little bubble, i usually just flick it out. if it's larger, i will either try to draw it out, or disconnect and reprime the tubing.

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