IV LINES AND SAFETY MEASURES IN ITS USE FOR PATIENTS:

I.V. access:
I.V. access is necessary to gain peripheral or central access to the venous circulation.
Purposes of an I.V. line is inserted to:

administer drugs and fluids

administer blood and blood products

obtain blood for laboratory tests

provide a way to insert a catheter into the central circulation for hemodynamic
monitoring and electrical pacing.

Choosing an access site

The site you choose for I.V. access is based on the patient's needs and condition.
Factors include:

availability and condition of adequate peripheral veins

volume of fluid required and time available to administer fluids

type of fluid to be administered

purpose and duration of I.V. therapy.

During resuscitation attempts, you should obtain venous access at the site of the largest vein
available that doesn't require interrupting resuscitation ( antecubital or femoral vein).
I.V. safety precautions:
precautions must be taken for patient and provider safety. These include:

the use of standard precautions

antiseptic cleaning of the site

appropriate disposal of needles

changing the I.V. site every 3 days

evaluation of the site for infiltration or thrombosis.

Establishing peripheral I.V. lines

Peripheral venipuncture sites
Those located in the hand, forearm, foot, and leg offer various advantages and disadvantages.
Potential peripheral I.V. access veins include the antecubital, external jugular, femoral, hand, and
saphenous veins.

Suggestions for selecting the vein:

Keep in mind that the most prominent veins aren't necessarily the best veins; they may be
sclerotic from previous use.

Avoid selecting a vein in an edematous or impaired arm if possible

Never select a vein in the arm closest to an area that's surgically compromised, such as
veins compromised by a mastectomy or by placement of dialysis access.

Optimally, select a vein in the nondominant arm or hand.

For subsequent venipunctures, select sites above the previously used or injured vein.

Rotate access sites.