Nursing Diagnosis for Phlebitis

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Hello everyone! This is my first post and I'm so glad to have found this forum!I'm in my 2nd semester of clinicals and I also work as an SNE.

My patient from yesterday had an IV infiltrate, and I really think that should be one of my diagnoses, but I can't find one that is appropriate. My instructor had me chart is as Stage I Phlebitis, but when I research phlebitis, it is listed separately from infiltration, and he did not have any signs of phlebitis. I believe the catheter simply slipped out of the vein (he was a very mobile patient). His hand and arm were very swollen and tight, but that resolved with warm compresses.

Anyhow, this is a care plan week, so I have to go even further with it, which won't be a problem once I figure out where to start. Impaired Comfort related to tissue trauma secondary to phlebitis? He wasn't really in a lot of pain from it, but he was complaining. Is impaired comfort the only real problem with this infiltration? I d/c'd the site and started a new one.

Thanks for your thoughts!

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So wierd. I just recently had phlebitis in my arm and it hurt for 1 month. I had a sort of homan's sign too. I was treated with Naproxen and in the beginning, painkillers. A real nuisance. I had an ultrasound to rule out DVT and it came back negative like expected since rarely does superficial phlebitis progress so far in the arm.

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Specializes in ED.
Hello everyone! This is my first post and I'm so glad to have found this forum!I'm in my 2nd semester of clinicals and I also work as an SNE.

My patient from yesterday had an IV infiltrate, and I really think that should be one of my diagnoses, but I can't find one that is appropriate. My instructor had me chart is as Stage I Phlebitis, but when I research phlebitis, it is listed separately from infiltration, and he did not have any signs of phlebitis. I believe the catheter simply slipped out of the vein (he was a very mobile patient). His hand and arm were very swollen and tight, but that resolved with warm compresses.

Anyhow, this is a care plan week, so I have to go even further with it, which won't be a problem once I figure out where to start. Impaired Comfort related to tissue trauma secondary to phlebitis? He wasn't really in a lot of pain from it, but he was complaining. Is impaired comfort the only real problem with this infiltration? I d/c'd the site and started a new one.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I think that is definatly one that I would use but more importantly, think of the tissue perfusion. Swollen arm and hand, compressing on arteries, veins, and cappillaries. Maybe something like this:

"Risk for altered tissue perfusion r/t IV infiltration as evidenced by swollen (right or left) arm and client expressing discomfort" or something to that effect.

Then I would come out with the pain issue.

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Specializes in Nursing Education.

I agree with altered or potential for altered tissue perfusion related to compartment or potential compartment syndrome related to IV infilration.

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Thank you so much for your input. It really helped. I had two health histories, one care plan, and a case study to do this weekend. Also, I have a quiz Monday and a test Tuesday. I am down to working on the care plan portion of the health history and then tomorrow I'll get to study for the test.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.

Risk for infection r/t infiltrated IV.

Pain r/t infiltrated iv aeb grimacing, patient's statement of pain of 6/10.

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