IV PUMP

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Hey everyone.

Question, if i have a patient that comes up from the Emergency Department, and they have an IV fluid bag running without a pump, only by drips per minute. The ward requirements are usually to put everything on a pump. The IV bag has already been running and im unsure how much has gone through, how do i set up this bag on the IV pump correctly? Say an 8/24 IV fluid order and the bag looks 1/2-3/4 full. Do i still put in 1000mls. 125mls per hour? Even though 1000mls is not in the bag?

Thank you in advance.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Your fluid bags don't have measurement marks on them so you can see how much fluid has be administered? Anyway, if not, ballpark & go from there.

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I would think you would put in 500ml if half the bag is left?

I would put a little bit less than what I thought it was so that way the bag is never really empty. It'll alert you that it's empty but there will still be some fluid in there. For example, if you think there is 500ml then say 400 or 450 so you have time to change the bag before it has been sucked dry.

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Just make an estimate about how much is left in the bag and set that volume as the VTBI (volume to be infused) . So if it looks like there is about 500 cc left put in 450-480 so it will give you a little cushion to get a new bag ,to avoid dealing with pesky "air in line" alarms and will prevent risk for blood back up and occlusions of the VAD. Next set the rate of the infusion in mls per hour and make sure the order has not changed for the type of fluid. hope we all helped

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