IV Therapy Poll

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Do you stop running IV Fluids to complete routine pt care-like take pt to XRay,etc.?

    • 2
      Yes, only with a MD order to do so
    • 3
      Yes, all the time
    • 3
      No
    • 2
      Other

10 members have participated

Is it your practice to interrupt running IV Fluids (anything except medication drips, TPN/PPN) to complete patient activities like let the pt take a shower, transport the pt to x-ray & other in-hospital areas?

The place I work right now has a practice of disconnecting IV's to take the pt to x-ray, clinic appts in-house, take a shower, etc. Pt has ordered IVF's @ specific cc/hr...and because the fluids are disconnected for an undetermined timeframe, the pt does not receive the "ordered" IV Fluids at the prescribed rate. This practice is done without obtaining MD orders to do so.

Other places I worked, the only time that IV Fluids are off are when the pt is having a line re-established. The RN has the ultimate responsibility of assuring the pt's ordered IV rate gets infused, i.e. ordered @ 125cc/hr-you assure 1000cc (plus IVPB's) is infused for the 8hr timeframe-only exception are those pts who are extremely fluid fragile.

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Specializes in Step down, ICU, ER, PACU, Amb. Surg.

What a good poll, Sharie! :D

As a general rule of thumb, if the patient has an IV it is sponge baths for them and the IV goes to xray and so forth. Now if the IV is at a KVO rate then yes, the site is heplocked for routine care. Occasionally if they become hoplessly tangled in the lines and cables, I have disconnected to untangle bu then immediately connected the again. Usually, the MD writes the order that the patient may be disconnected to go tp PT or shower...but we are talking a small Army hospital where the majority of the patients are orthopaedic surgical cases. I the ICU there,.....they IV goes with the patient. After all we must ensure responsible care...even if it seems trivial....things are prescribed and ordered for a reason.

Christie

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Being in ICU our patients aren't really getting up to go anywhere, and usually have a bunch of other IV lines going as well, but I will d/c fluids if they are not needed ie) fluids were from two days ago when they had a contrast CT and it was to help get the dye out..and the docs just didn't d/c the order. Our docs get a little lazy bout d/c'ing orders esp IV's but they are fine with us stopping them if for whatever reason tehy are not needed.

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We don't disconnect the IV for any activities, unless it is TKVO, and then we use our own discrection

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