Is there a standard of care for monitoring a peripheral site when you are infusing? I know there are many variables, such as type of fluid, condition of patient, etc, but is there any speciific time frames attached to monitoring. I have not been able to find anything in the newest book "Infusion Nursing-An evidence-based approach" under peripheral IV monitoring, other than vague maybe 4hour intervals? Can you put a time to monitoring. Thanks!!! The documentaiton committee is asking if the every 1 hour IV site check is unrealistic.
There is no research that establishes a single time interval for assessing an IV site. It is the organization's responsibility to assess all criteria and write their own frequency in P&P. This depends upon the patient's age and condition, the type of therapy, the type of catheter and the healthcare setting. A neonate receiving TPN is different from a 20 year old receiving an antibiotics. A 75 year old receiving an antineoplastic agent is different from a 50 year old receiving dopamine. Each hospital has to look at this patients and therapies. Personally, I am most familiar with assessing all IV sites at a minimum of every 2 hours, peds and certain meds would be every 1 hour.
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
www.hadawayassociates.com
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