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- 07/10/2011 7:34 pm
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- 10/23/2006
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About
My name is Leaha, and I'm a 19 year old college student pursuing a BSN (Bachelor in Science of Nursing). My dream is to specialize in pediatric oncology and emergency medicine.
About my Sig
A lot of people have PM'd me or left comments about my signature...the IV catheter. Here's a little info on what an IV cath actually is!
IV stands for Intravenous. An IV cath is essentially a needle with a flexible plastic-like sheath on it. The needle is inserted into a vein, and then the needle is pulled out, letting the flexible IV cath remain. If the needle was left in, it was cause your vein to burst as soon as you moved it any, leaving a nasty bruise and not having a pathway for the meds/saline solution going through the IV.
Having an IV put in (not a central line...just a regular IV)? Here's what to expect:
arrow A nurse/EMT/whoever will tie your arm off with a little piece of latex to make the veins stick out more. The may ask you to squeeze your hand into a fist to help them protrude even more. They will feel around till they find a vein that is firm, but gives a little. The area will be disinfected (usually with an alcohol pad, but some places like at blood drives use iodine-based antiseptics.), then the needle/cath will be inserted. Be careful not to move your arm or you could cause them to miss the vein or even nick it, requiring them to stick you again and giving you a nasty bruise.
arrow Once they get it in, they will remove the needle, leaving the cath in. The latex tourniquet will be removed and they will then tape the IV cath down to make sure it does not come out. They will attach the IV tubing to the cath. And that's it. :3 It's pretty simple, and it's not that painful. Of course, it all depends on the size of the needle. In most settings, a 20 to 24 gauge will be used. They're pretty small. If they are looking for any vein they can find in your arm, it's probably gonna be a small needle. But if they start wanting to go for the BIG veins you see in your arm, it's probably going to be a bigger needle. Blood drives usually use 16 gauge needles...they do hurt, but it's worth it.
Here's a picture of an IV cath before the needle has been pulled out. The person has obviously done it correctly, because it has been inserted at the correct angle and there is blood in the flashback chamber. Blood in the flashback chamber indicates that you have found the vein. Note: The orange/yellow tint to the skin is because an iodine-based antiseptic was used.
This is it for this episode of Leaha's guide to the Wide World of IVs. 3nodding
I'm in ur chartz, writin' FLK, TTFO, and other mischievous acronymz.
I'm in ur hospital room, givin' u a heparin IV flush instead of a saline solution line flush, lulz.
I'm in ur hospitalz, spreadin' teh MRSA.
About my Sig
A lot of people have PM'd me or left comments about my signature...the IV catheter. Here's a little info on what an IV cath actually is!
IV stands for Intravenous. An IV cath is essentially a needle with a flexible plastic-like sheath on it. The needle is inserted into a vein, and then the needle is pulled out, letting the flexible IV cath remain. If the needle was left in, it was cause your vein to burst as soon as you moved it any, leaving a nasty bruise and not having a pathway for the meds/saline solution going through the IV.
Having an IV put in (not a central line...just a regular IV)? Here's what to expect:
arrow A nurse/EMT/whoever will tie your arm off with a little piece of latex to make the veins stick out more. The may ask you to squeeze your hand into a fist to help them protrude even more. They will feel around till they find a vein that is firm, but gives a little. The area will be disinfected (usually with an alcohol pad, but some places like at blood drives use iodine-based antiseptics.), then the needle/cath will be inserted. Be careful not to move your arm or you could cause them to miss the vein or even nick it, requiring them to stick you again and giving you a nasty bruise.
arrow Once they get it in, they will remove the needle, leaving the cath in. The latex tourniquet will be removed and they will then tape the IV cath down to make sure it does not come out. They will attach the IV tubing to the cath. And that's it. :3 It's pretty simple, and it's not that painful. Of course, it all depends on the size of the needle. In most settings, a 20 to 24 gauge will be used. They're pretty small. If they are looking for any vein they can find in your arm, it's probably gonna be a small needle. But if they start wanting to go for the BIG veins you see in your arm, it's probably going to be a bigger needle. Blood drives usually use 16 gauge needles...they do hurt, but it's worth it.
Here's a picture of an IV cath before the needle has been pulled out. The person has obviously done it correctly, because it has been inserted at the correct angle and there is blood in the flashback chamber. Blood in the flashback chamber indicates that you have found the vein. Note: The orange/yellow tint to the skin is because an iodine-based antiseptic was used.
This is it for this episode of Leaha's guide to the Wide World of IVs. 3nodding
I'm in ur chartz, writin' FLK, TTFO, and other mischievous acronymz.
I'm in ur hospital room, givin' u a heparin IV flush instead of a saline solution line flush, lulz.
I'm in ur hospitalz, spreadin' teh MRSA.
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I forsee a NCLEX D:!
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The strongest among you may not wear a crown.
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