Vein During IV (Getting Freaked Out)

Published Oct 7, 2007

1 Post

sorry I'm not a nurse... but I'm getting a bit scared, and I couldn't really find any definite answers on the net.

I went in for a cat scan yesterday, it happened around 10 PM. (it's 3:30 PM the next day now) anyway, I had a fluid that highlights your organs injected through the IV I guess... but my vein blew, thinking that it was just an extra painful thing, I didn't say anything until the nurse came and checked afterward. I'm pretty sure the entire amount of fluid was injected into my arm. Needless to say, my arm swelled like a balloon, I guess from the fluid thats floating around in it.

It's still swollen, 12 hours later, the doctor there said to put hot compresses on, and it should go back to normal in about day. (I'm thinking it may take longer because we didn't catch it until after the fact?)

My arms all jiggly and I can feel the fluid in it, it's pretty disgusting, my fingers have a bit of a odd sensation in them. We've called my doctor and asked about going back to the ER, but he said they would probably tell us just to put the hot compresses on it. Right now I'm using a heating pad wrapped around instead of a warm wash cloth, those tend to go cold quicker.

All I want to know is, will this have any lasting effects? Will the fluid just take awhile to drain from my arm, since I think it was such a large amount? Is there anything else that they could do at the ER, or anything else I can do?

It's just a bit scary when you don't know what's happening in your own body... thank you to anyone that can give me any answers, I'm sorry for taking up your time.