IV in Emergency?

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Just curious after the patient's preferences thread. How many of you have actually had an emergency where you used an IV? I mean a no kidding, seconds matter, couldn't get one in, need the IV to save someone's life. Not during a surgery or really on a patient with an epidural, just a normal low-risk woman with no interventions. Just wondering how many have really experienced this. Thanks.

ETA: In LABORING women....

Let me add my two cents to IVs in general. There was once a time when I actually had patients in the hospital who were up walking, eating, and probably would have done better at home. Now, all of my patients need to be in the hospital and all have the potential of suddenly going bad.

Why is this? Do you work with a high risk population? Or is it because our interventions *make* everyone high risk?

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Why is this? Do you work with a high risk population? Or is it because our interventions *make* everyone high risk?

I work on a surgical floor where we only handle serious surgeries now. Once, we had simple appys, scopes, etc. but those are all out patient now. Also, once, appys stayed for over a week and simple surgeries stayed even tho the patients were up ambulating on thier own and on regular diets. Seems like our 'easy' surgeries have gone from the hospital, leaving us with only major cases to handle.

I know our interventions do not make them high risk, unless you include surgery. Just seems to me that my patients are getting sicker and sicker; also, doesn't help that many are obese and in poor health to start with before surgery. Is it just me or do others feel that people in general are not taking good care of their health. On any given day on my floor, the average patient weighs over 250 pounds!

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So these aren't laboring moms that you are talking about?

Yeah, on a surgical pt, I would be uncomfortable not having an IV.

I was under the impression you were talking about labor and delivery.

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I work on a surgical floor where we only handle serious surgeries now. Once, we had simple appys, scopes, etc. but those are all out patient now. Also, once, appys stayed for over a week and simple surgeries stayed even tho the patients were up ambulating on thier own and on regular diets. Seems like our 'easy' surgeries have gone from the hospital, leaving us with only major cases to handle.

I know our interventions do not make them high risk, unless you include surgery. Just seems to me that my patients are getting sicker and sicker; also, doesn't help that many are obese and in poor health to start with before surgery. Is it just me or do others feel that people in general are not taking good care of their health. On any given day on my floor, the average patient weighs over 250 pounds!

I think you're in the wrong forum. Also did you read what the thread was actually about?

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Was just answering another's response to my original reply about IVs.

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Specializes in telemetry.

I am a tele RN and am due to deliver any time now (38weeks). I have seen stuff go bad in a hurry. I know that being a reasonably low risk mom, I am not like the general population I personally care for. Chances are that I probably wont need one for emergency reasons. I dont like the thought of getting the exrtra poke either, but I would rather have a SL lifejacked just in case. My nurse will not get any resistance from me if she wanted to start a SL.

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I think, though, the original topic was IV access in laboring moms. I'm not sure if you are aware, maybe you are, that for some people IV access in a low risk mom is a controversial subject--some people say absolutely must have one for the "what if" situation, others say it is an unnecessary medical intervention. Some hospitals require it by protocol, others do not. Not that your input isn't appreciated, but it's not really on the topic and was therefore a little confusing.

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