Happy Thanksgiving!
On behalf of the infusionnurse blog, thank you for your continued support. We appreciate and are always very grateful for your loyalty, Wishing you and your family and friends a warm and happy Thanksgiving!
What IV needle size should I use?
A: The goal when selecting the proper gauge of an peripheral IV catheter is to ensure that the best device meets the patient’s needs. This means taking into consideration many factors such as: Prescribed therapy/type of solution Duration of treatment Peripheral vein availability/vein integrity Diagnosis /Age Known complications of the device The Infusion Nurses Society standards of practice…
Not the same…
Why is it that patients, as well as others who work in our industry, even doctors and nurses, think that infusion nurses do the same job as phlebotomists? Is it because both do venipunctures? Such sterotype and it’s time to stop thinking they are even remotely similar. 1. An infusion nurse (aka IV nurse) is not…
Happy Veterans’ Day
On this day, we commemorate all living and deceased veterans who heeded the call of duty. That would include those missing in action, our wounded warriors, former prisoners of war and millions of veterans who have served both in war and peace. By honoring our veterans, we show gratitude for their devotion to human dignity and freedom.…
The lady on the plane with an upper arm port.
On a recent flight home, I had a very interesting conversation with the lady sitting next to me. This delightful woman happened to be a breast cancer patient currently on chemotherapy. When she found out I am an infusion nurse, she immediately showed me her “implanted port” , which is located on the inner aspect of…
Q&A: ICD 10 and infusion nurses
On October 1, 2015, one of the biggest events that hit healthcare data in decades was the conversion of coded clinical data to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: Tenth Revision, commonly referred to as ICD-10. Q: What happened to ICD 9? A:In 1983, Medicare implemented ICD-9 as part of the…
The MAGIC – Guide for PICC Use
MAGIC – stands for Michigan Appropriateness Guide for Intravenous Catheters. This guide (Table 2) was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, September 15, 2015. See reference below. Appropriate indications for PICC use 1. Delivery of peripherally compatible infusates when the proposed duration of such use is ≥6 d* 2. Delivery of non–peripherally compatible infusates (e.g.,…
ICYMI: Best Practices for PICC insertion, care and management
A multi-specialty panel led by Vineet Chopra, MD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, has designed a best practices guide for the “insertion, care, and management” of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). The 15-member panel included physicians and nurses from multiple specialties, including pharmacy. A patient was also invited to contribute to panel discussions. Multiple…
9/11…14 years ago
It has been that many years ago but every year, we will never forget what happened on this day, 9/11/2001. The Faces of 9/11 We will always remember those who died from this tragedy, whose memories we celebrate today. We will always be grateful to the courageous firefighters, rescuers and first responders who risked their lives…
Q&A: Dial-a-flow tubing
Q: We work in a single physician office based infusion clinic and we infuse drugs for rheumatoid arthritis by gravity, not by pump, because pumps are expensive. Me and the other nurse think dial-a flow tubing will be useful especially on a busy infusion day. What do you think? A: Dial-a-flo devices are designed to…
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