Does anyone have any documentation regarding when it is OK to use an arm for PIV once the radial artery has been harvested? I have several different opinions but I am looking for evidence based facts.
Thanks in advance for any information
Cindy McIlhinney RNC
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Cindy-
I've searched for a bit and didn't find anything either. Could you let me know if you come up with anything?
Here's how our CV surgeons do things. If a patient has a PIV in the hand that will have the radial harvested,pre-op and anesthesia might use it until the patient is out and they have the IJ and groin lines in. Then they D/C the PIV,mainly for reasons of sterility during the harvesting. Once the patient gets down to the ICU,they don't have a problem with PIV's on the harvest side from that point on.
Since the radial veins are taken with the artery,I can understand your CV surgeons' concerns--there are plenty of little collateral or "feeder" veins that get clipped during the harvest and so anything run in from a PIV could conceivably extravasate through the cut end of a vein.
Thanks David
I am looking for safe practice recommendations for using the arm
after it has had a radial artery harvested and has compleatly healed.
I had 1 CV surgeon say 6 months, 1 say 1month, and 1 say never use the extremity for PIV placement.