IV Therapy Basics and Monitoring

An intravenous line is a shortcut into the vascular system. Fluid or medication does not pass through the gastrointestinal tract or wait for absorption; it can alter circulating volume, serum electrolytes, blood pressure, or cardiac conduction within minutes. That speed is useful in shock, dehydration, and urgent medication delivery, but it leaves less time to correct an incorrect rate, concentration, route, or patient. A peripheral IV is appropriate only for a solution that is compatible with the vein, the catheter, and the prescribed route. A central venous catheter is not simply a “better” peripheral line. Its placement, tip position, and permitted uses are different, and insertion is a separately regulated procedure. The nurse must know which access is present before assuming that a medication or solution can be given through it. Monitoring therefore has two targets: - The client: perfusion, respiratory status, neurologic status, vital signs, fluid balance, laboratory results, and symptoms related to the therapy. - The system: the order, solution, tubing, pump, catheter, dressing, insertion site, and connections. A normal pump display does not prove that fluid is...