question about IV therapy (when tourniquet is forgotten!)

Nurses Safety

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i've been observing peripheral iv iron infusions done for quite some time now, and i was just wondering - what is the worst case scenario when the tourniquet is left on a patient's arm and the infusion is administered? i saw this happen to one of the patients - he was getting iv iron for about 15 minutes but the nurse i was assisting had left the tourniquet on his arm! apparently, it was hid under the shirt sleeve.... towards the end of the infusion, i had observed that the patients' veins have become hard and tortuous (that's the word right?); but the patient was positive that he felt okay... this made me think, what would be the consequence for his veins? would they have ruptured and a hematoma would form? it's just sad, because the patient was a nice old man...

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

worst case is that circulation is so diminished that permanent tissue and nerve damage is done and the arm has to be amputated. I doubt this is frequent, but you asked for the worst.

really? yeah that does sound like the worst... but what about for just a 15-minute infusion, in terms of the pressures? heard stuff about vein rupture and resultant hematoma...

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