warming IV fluids

oramar · Dec 13, 2000

Originally posted by melanie19:
The fluid warmer we use in our ED only heats to 37C, which isn't suitable for a hypothermic patient. Does anyone have any other suggestion? Is microwaving ok.

Micro waves produce very uneven temps, areas of searing heat and cold in the same bag.

hollykate · Jan 16, 2001

Melanie,

Has your hospital invested in something called The Hotline? It warms everything up pretty quickly. We use it in our ED and in our ICU in conjunction with the level one rapid infuser.

Cathy RN · Jan 18, 2001

We use the level 1 fluid warmer as well it infuses at 40 degrees. To the best of my knowledge you only want to warm about a degree an hour. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong......

lablover · Mar 7, 2001

we keep bags of NS and LR in our blanket warmer so they are always available.

Sarah, RNBScN · Aug 20, 2003

Post #5

we keep bags of NS and LR in our blanket warmer so they are always available.

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We keep ours in the same unit BUT we were advised that they must be labelled with a date of 2wks. for discard once they have been kept in a warmer cupboard.

We also have the "hotline" which we use.

mommatrauma, RN · Mar 7, 2005

You can use a microwave, however it has to be specially calibrated and can be used for nothing else other than fluid warming or JCAHO will ding you on it...we have a warmer that keeps it warm with our blankets...We also have the level 1 infusers AKA Rangers to keep it warm while infusing...

dunedain · Mar 9, 2005

We have a small blanket warmer in the trauma room where we also keep NS and LR. We also date ours to two weeks out then have to pull them if they out date (which is rare) and dump them. We don't use our larger blanket warmer for heating IV sol'n because of overheating...the temp can't be regulated as easily...something to watch out for.

Same goes for our ED in so far as the level 1.

RNinOZ · Mar 9, 2005

The fluid warmer we use in our ED only heats to 37C, which isn't suitable for a hypothermic patient. Does anyone have any other suggestion? Is microwaving ok.

We have a Warmflo which heats up to 42 degrees, and an integrated fluid/blanket warmer.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

We use both the Level1 and the hotline as needed.

Even just for dehydrated patients the hotline is so nice, when giving a 1 or 2 or even 3 liters wide open. Much more comfortable for the patients.

needsmore$ · Apr 16, 2005

WE use Ranger Fluid warmer

jayne109, RN · Apr 16, 2005

we have Several Level One warmers but we only use them in traumas. I like to give my afebrile "freezing" pts a bag of warm gluid just to be nice. We have a fluid warmer that is part of our blanket warmer. The fluid part on top stays about 100-101 degrees (F) if I remember right. We found that the blankets were being kept at the same temp and we pitched a small fit because the blankets were not warm enough. Now it sits at 154 degrees. much comfier.