IV catheter gauge for rehydration patient

AprilRNhere · May 10, 2008

Whatever you can get in..though I doubt that's the "right" answer. A LOL who is dehydrated often = difficult stick. Defnately 20 if you can get it in. Often we resort to a 22..but they don't last as long. We had to start a 22 in one LOL's foot b/c she had no good veins. Then...when it infiltrated..we went to the other foot.

shorty510 · May 10, 2008

This may be a stupid question, but what does LOL stand for?

oMerMero · May 10, 2008

little old lady

Trauma Columnist · May 10, 2008

I would agree with above poster - to rehydrate a pt, you put in what size needle you can.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 11, 2008

i was an iv therapist for many years and nationally certified in iv therapy. first of all, you never put an iv catheter in a vein that is larger than the vein.

"the smallest gauge and shortest length of cannula that will accommodate the prescribed therapy should be selected, this causes less trauma to the vessel, promotes proper hemodilution of the infusate and allows adequate blood flow around the catheter walls. all of these factors lengthen cannula dwell time.

14-18 gauge

- trauma, surgery, blood [transfusion]

20 gauge

- continuous and intermittent infusions, blood [transfusions]

22 gauge

- intermittent or general infusions for children and elderly patients

24 gauge

- fragile veins for intermittent or general infusions"

(page 383,

intravenous therapy: clinical principles and practice

, by judy terry, leslie baranowski, rose anne lonsway and carolyn hedrick, published by the intravenous nurses society, 1995)

accordingly, i would use a 20g iv catheter for this patient and then modify it to a smaller size if necessary depending on their age and condition of their veins.