IV Push (bolus)???

[TruDivaRN, BSN, RN]

I need a little help!!! Our outline has IV push as a way of administering meds, but I can not find it in our book :uhoh21: . My question is how do you properly do a iv push, and is bouls the med that you are adminstering???

[RN 4 U]

IV Push is a drug route. This means that the patient has an IV site or a PICC line and the drug is administed by a syringe directly pushed into the IV by way of the vein, the medication enters the blood stream immediately. Bolus is a term to describe the way the medication is delivered a bolus, the medication is delivered all at once by directly entering the blood stream. Hope that helps.

[lauralassie]

There are different amouts of times to give IV meds. Some can be given over 3-5 min others over 10 min. That's why you need to find a source that gives all that info. It's out there. As a student you need to find it and use it . Never take for granted what other nurses tell you. Look it up for yourself know the answer. The bolus is usually the med your giving. Hope you find the answer to this in a book befor you see your nursing instructor. Web sites arn't the source you should be using. Opinions and wrong answeres can lead to big time trouble !

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Your drug book usually references medication administration routes (including bolus). Sometimes it also references times over which you should administer the drug.

In general - I administer my boluses over 1-3 minutes. Sometimes, if possible, I dilute it in some saline before push, because the drug can be an irritant (Toradol).

If the drug requires more than 5 minutes to infuse, I fill it in a syringe and hang it up on a mini-infuser pump :)

cheers,

[PANurseRN1]

There are different amouts of times to give IV meds. Some can be given over 3-5 min others over 10 min. That's why you need to find a source that gives all that info. It's out there. As a student you need to find it and use it . Never take for granted what other nurses tell you. Look it up for yourself know the answer. The bolus is usually the med your giving. Hope you find the answer to this in a book befor you see your nursing instructor. Web sites arn't the source you should be using. Opinions and wrong answeres can lead to big time trouble !

Excellent answer!

[southernatheart]

Also important to note that if youre flushing a lock or line after administering a bolus, to push the saline or heparin over the same time period as you gave the meds. Rationale being that there are still meds in the line and you wouldnt want to push THOSE any faster than you wanted to push the rest. Esp. something like dig or morphine! (not to mention others...)