We have already learned that IV stands for intravenous, or an injection that is given directly into the vein. We have a limit of 3 mL of fluid for adults when giving them subcutaneous or intramuscular injections because more than that will cause problems in the tissue surrounding the injection site, but because an IV injection goes directly into a patient's vein, the only limit on the amount of fluid that can be administered via an IV is the limit on the amount a fluid a person's body can consume without receiving more liquid than the body can absorb or excrete which can lead to medical problems such as heart failure, high blood pressure, and excessive fluid in the lungs. The safe range of daily fluid intake will vary based on the patient's condition, size and age, as several diseases such a heart failure, kidney failure, and diabetes, for example, can require that a patient limit their daily fluid intake. For example, a kg healthy adult, should get mL per day of fluid, or 3.
Intravenous therapy is the infusion of fluid directly into the venous circulation of a patient, usually via a cannula. There are various indications for the administration of fluid, such as replacement of electrolytes, restoration of blood volume or maintenance in the surgery-staved patient. Intravenous IV therapy can also be used in the administration of drugs such as in chemotherapy ; it has a fast action, compared to enteral routes, as the medication is delivered straight into the circulation. In this article, we shall look at the principles behind setting up an intravenous fluid infusion. Before setting up an intravenous fluid infusion, it is important to check the fluid bag. Although there are different types of fluid, the bags all have a similar structure and labelling.
If you need help preparing the syringes, see the info sheet called "Flushing the Line with Heparin, Saline or Citrate. Open the package of IV tubing. Close the roller clamp. If you are using rate-controlled tubing, the control should be set to "off.
Primary and secondary IV tubing and add-on devices extension tubing must be primed with IV solution to remove air from the tubing. IV tubing is primed to prevent air from entering the circulatory system. It is unknown how much air will cause death, but deaths have been reported with as little as 10 ml of air. The best way to avoid air bubbles in IV tubing is to prevent them in the first place Perry et al.