Large Volume IV Solution Shortages

It just doesn’t seem right that the national crisis with “drug shortages” would include  large volume (1000mL) IV solutions we commonly administer to our patients: 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection 0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection Lactated Ringer’s Injection 5% Dextrose Injection   But the reality is there is a shortage, IV saline solution, in particular is on…

There’s so much to be thankful for….

Thanksgiving Day… a day filled with turkey/stuffing, pumpkin pie, an abundance of coma inducing foods, watching the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade” on TV,  football,  and annoying jokes from the in-laws!! Yes, those are the extras…..for this day is truly for being grateful and humble for what we have. Sometimes many of us forget to give thanks…

Poll results: Bevel up or Bevel down when inserting IVs

A week ago, I posted a poll on my blog about inserting a peripheral IV catheter, bevel up or bevel down. Here’s the result as of 11.23.2010. The poll showed, inserting bevel up is the technique used by 92.11% of the blog readers who took the poll. It is also the common practice and the…

Bevel up or Bevel down?

A week ago, a colleague @nerdymedic posted this question posted this on Twitter. “Can you shed some light on the “bevel down” technique that some profess for peds?” It was an interesting question, to which I replied: Bevel down vs. bevel up when inserting IV catheters. I have always inserted peripheral IV catheters bevel up…

Do Nurses Do IV Therapy in Jails and Prisons?

We all know that IV therapy can be  provided in all healthcare settings – acute, long term, outpatient, homecare, physician’s offices, free standing infusion centers, and many more.  Do you ever wonder,  like I do if and  how IV therapy is provided in jails and prisons?  Well, find out from the expert,  fellow nurse blogger…

A love affair with all things bloody…

… bloody, as in blood return… which, to an infusion nurse is truly exhilarating! When I am challenged to insert a 24g peripheral IV catheter in a tiny, invisible vein of a dehydrated infant, I jump for joy as I watch anxiously for the blood return and pray that blood continues to backflow as I…

FDA Alerts/Recall: Several infusion related products

In the past weeks, there have several FDA alerts and recall notices related to products used in infusion therapy. Here are some of the products. Class I Recall: CareFusion Corporation, Alaris PC Units (Model 8015) Reason for Recall: Under certain wireless network conditions, a communication error can occur, which freezes the PC Unit screen. This…

To blog or not to blog…

Today was a great day, not only because its Friday but because I had the great opportunity to participate  in a discussion (podcast) on Insights in Nursing regarding the departure of a long time medical blogger from blogging. As a new blogger, I didn’t have much interaction with Mark Glencorse but I have read a…