Intravenous infusion
In medicine, intravenous infusions are "long-term (minutes to hours) administration of a fluid into the vein through venipuncture, either by letting the fluid flow by gravity or by pumping it."[1]
Technique and equipment
While it is possible to maintain an intravenous (IV) infusion through a well-secured hypodermic needle, the general practice is to use a flexible catheter. There are two basic types, catheter-over-needle and catheter-in-needle.
For routine infusion in adults, the needle gauge -- the larger the number, the smaller the diameter -- is 18 or 20 gauge. In critical care or emergency situations, "large bore" access (16 or 14 gauge) is needed to transfer large volumes; multiple large-bore accesses often are established very early in trauma, since veins may not be accessible with fluid loss and declining blood pressure.
Insertion
Cutdown
A variation on the needle technique is a "cutdown", where a catheter is introduced through a small incision.
Adverse effects
Complications are not reduced by routinely changing catheters.[2]
References
- ↑ Anonymous (2024), Intravenous infusions (English). Medical Subject Headings. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ↑ Webster J, Osborne S, Rickard C, Hall J (2010). "Clinically-indicated replacement versus routine replacement of peripheral venous catheters.". Cochrane Database Syst Rev 3: CD007798. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD007798.pub2. PMID 20238356. Research Blogging.