Ch 38 IV Therapy
Purpose of IV therapy:
• Maintaining or providing daily body fluid and electrolytes because of inability to ingest fluids and
nutrients by mouth.
• Replacing abnormal or excessive loss of fluids and electrolytes.
• Providing an avenue for IV administration of medications, rather orally!
The electrolytes are necessary to maintain homeostasis of fluids and electrolytes, which contribute to
correct function of all body systems.
Glucose is essential because it is required to produce energy.
Gastric suctioning or vomiting can cause loss of:
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Potassium + hydrochloric acid, resulting in hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hypokalemia,
and metabolic alkalosis.
Loss occurring with diarrhea:
- Potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate.
IV PUSH:
Medication given directly into the vein.
If the patient has an intermittent infusion device, also known as a PRN lock, the medication can be
administered IV push via the injection port without having the discomfort of another needle stick.
venous access devices (VADs):
• flushed with 1 to 10 mL of sodium chloride, or normal saline (NS), prior to administration!
Many medications must be diluted in 1 to 10 mL of NS prior to IV push administration.
Intravenous Piggyback: IVPB
, • smaller volume of IV solution.
• 50 - 250 mL.
• 0.9% sodium chloride (NS)
• dextrose 5% in water (D5W)
From 15 to 90 minutes! This route is typically used for administering medications that require
intermittent infusion, such as every 4 to 8 hours.
Compatibility vs incompatibility:
So many medications are available today that numerous medications can be incompatible and result in
drug–drug interactions.
This means that the interaction between two drugs can cause a change in the activity.
A precipitate form when one of the agents in a solution separate from the solvent and becomes a solid,
insoluble product.
• cloudy
• hazy
• crystals floating
• may not be visible to the naked eye.
Never allow infusion to continue if you see precipitate!
Always flush, to prevent (2) medications from interacting with each other.
Purpose of IV therapy:
• Maintaining or providing daily body fluid and electrolytes because of inability to ingest fluids and
nutrients by mouth.
• Replacing abnormal or excessive loss of fluids and electrolytes.
• Providing an avenue for IV administration of medications, rather orally!
The electrolytes are necessary to maintain homeostasis of fluids and electrolytes, which contribute to
correct function of all body systems.
Glucose is essential because it is required to produce energy.
Gastric suctioning or vomiting can cause loss of:
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Potassium + hydrochloric acid, resulting in hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hypokalemia,
and metabolic alkalosis.
Loss occurring with diarrhea:
- Potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate.
IV PUSH:
Medication given directly into the vein.
If the patient has an intermittent infusion device, also known as a PRN lock, the medication can be
administered IV push via the injection port without having the discomfort of another needle stick.
venous access devices (VADs):
• flushed with 1 to 10 mL of sodium chloride, or normal saline (NS), prior to administration!
Many medications must be diluted in 1 to 10 mL of NS prior to IV push administration.
Intravenous Piggyback: IVPB
, • smaller volume of IV solution.
• 50 - 250 mL.
• 0.9% sodium chloride (NS)
• dextrose 5% in water (D5W)
From 15 to 90 minutes! This route is typically used for administering medications that require
intermittent infusion, such as every 4 to 8 hours.
Compatibility vs incompatibility:
So many medications are available today that numerous medications can be incompatible and result in
drug–drug interactions.
This means that the interaction between two drugs can cause a change in the activity.
A precipitate form when one of the agents in a solution separate from the solvent and becomes a solid,
insoluble product.
• cloudy
• hazy
• crystals floating
• may not be visible to the naked eye.
Never allow infusion to continue if you see precipitate!
Always flush, to prevent (2) medications from interacting with each other.
