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morrisod
Anatomical locations for peripheral IV placements

Does your hospital mandate or recommend documentation of IV sites in their correct anatomial location as opposed to just a body part? I.e. basilic vein vs. forearm? Does anyone know what the standard is?

 

Thank you.

lynncrni
 The standard for this is

 The standard for this is established in the Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice, Standard 14 Documentation, Practice Criteria #5 states, "Identification of the insertion site by anatomical descriptors, laterality, landmarks, or appropriately marked drawings." Simply stated "left forearm" or "right hand" is just not sufficient. I can not tell you have many lawsuits where this has been a tremendous issue. In fact it is almost everyone I review. For your own protection, please provide more information that a simply body site. Here is what I would recommend, "22 g, 1 inch peirpheral catheter inserted on first attempt in cephalic vein approximately 4 inches aboce the crease of the wrist." Cephalic vein alone is not sufficient because it runs the entire length of the upper extremity. If you make more than 1 attempt, you should also document where the failed attempts were. I have seen numerous legal cases where multiple attempts were made but there is never a way to state that the final successful site is above all of the failed attempts. So it is relatively easy to raise lots of doubts about the successful site, and resulting extravasation injury being related to a failed attempt above the site of injection. The injected fluid leaks out from the failed puncture site and caused the problem. You can see the issues and how skillful attorneys could use this against the nurse. Lynn

Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI

Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.

PO Box 10

Milner, GA 30257

Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com

Office Phone 770-358-7861

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