Vesicants and Extravasation

These two terms defined by the Infusion Nurses Society means: Vesicant – an agent capable of causing blistering, tissue sloughing or necrosis when it escapes from the intended vascular pathway into surrounding tissue. Extravasation – the inadvertent infiltration of vesicant solution or medication into surrounding tissue. There are several chemotherapeutic agents with vesicant properties, and…

SPC Insertion Guide Card Deck

There is a great resource available to nurses and other healthcare providers. It is the SPC insertion guide card deck. The Short Peripheral Catheter (SPC) Insertion Card Deck provides step-by-step instruction for successful venipuncture in children and adults. The deck highlights proper site selection, insertion techniques, as well as care and maintenance methods. It also…

Think Safety, Insert Safely

In June of 2013, I was honored to chair a national task force for the Infusion Nurses Society’s (INS) project on Short Peripheral Catheter Safety (SPC).  Along with five other colleagues, we embarked on a task  to identify the safety and practice issues and  look at ways to promote safety in the insertion and management…

Q&A: IO and Blood Transfusion

Q:  A twitter colleague posted:  Can you give blood through an IO? A:  IO as in intraosseous access. An old concept that is now getting more attention as an alternate access for infusion therapy in emergent and non-emergent situations. IO access uses the intraosseous space that contains thousands of non-collapsible intertwined blood vessels that absorbs any fluids.…