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, NPD-BC, 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.