pain where your IV line is. redness or swelling near the IV line. crusting or scabbing appears on skin near your IV line. oozing fluid, blood or pus from where the IV line goes through your skin.
These IV cannulas are a potential route for microorganisms to enter the blood stream resulting in a variety of local or systemic infections. As compared to central venous catheters, the incidence of local or blood stream infections (BSI) associated with peripheral IV cannulas are usually low.
Treatment of i.v.-line infection involves removal of the i.v. line/device. Empiric antibiotic therapy directed against gram-positive cocci/aerobc gram-negative bacilli is usually started after blood cultures have been obtained and the removed catheter tip sent for semiquantitative culture.
Infective phlebitis is caused by the introduction of bacteria into the vein. It may start as an inflammatory response to cannula insertion, allowing bacteria to colonise the “inflammatory debris” (Malach et al, 2006).
Use either a transparent dressing or sterile gauze to cover the cannula site. Replace cannula site dressings when they become damp, loosened, or soiled, or when the device is removed or replaced. Change dressings more frequently in diaphoretic patients.
Signs include redness, swelling, a palpable venous cord, and pain along the path of the IV cannula.
Complications of gaining I.V. may include infiltration, hematoma, an air embolism, phlebitis, extravascular drug administration, and intraarterial injection.
Sometimes phlebitis may occur at the site where a peripheral intravenous (IV) line was started. The surrounding area may be sore and tender along the vein. If an infection is present, symptoms may include redness, fever, pain, swelling, or breakdown of the skin.
o The cannula must be kept dry. o If you see redness or swelling at the entry point, or there is pain when fluid or medication is put through, this may indicate infection (this must be dealt with promptly, so please tell us). resolved by removing the cannula.
Superficial thrombophlebitis is an inflammation of a vein just below the surface of the skin, which results from a blood clot. This condition may occur after recently using an IV line, or after trauma to the vein. Some symptoms can include pain and tenderness along the vein and hardening and feeling cord-like.
It should heal within a couple of weeks. Your provider will wait to use the vein for any further needle insertions until it's healed.
Despite its benefits and frequent use, intravenous cannulation has complications that can seriously threaten patient safety such as clotting, occlusion, leakage, infiltration, extravasation, phlebitis, and infection [4]. Furthermore, it is the main source of procedure-related pain in hospitalized patients [5].
The cannula (the flexible tube) may puncture the vein and the medicine then goes into the surrounding tissue, or the same vein may be used multiple times, which weakens it.
The cannula should not hurt when it is in place. It will be left in whilst you have your treatment. If you feel any pain where the cannula has been put in; your skin goes red, feels hot or itchy then tell a nurse. The staff should check your cannula each day.
If you have bruising or swelling, put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. Shower or bathe as usual. Be gentle using the area around the IV site for a day or two.
A bruise from an IV typically forms during or after IV treatment when the punctured vein wall allows blood to enter the skin and pool inside it. After which, the outer layer of the skin absorbs the blood and holds it there – resulting in the discoloration.
Thrombophlebitis frequently occurs with an intravenous cannula. Either the cannula or the infusion, including drugs, may have caused the inflammation. A small lump may appear days or weeks after the cannula has been removed and it can take months to resolve completely.
A long, thin red area may be seen as the inflammation follows a superficial vein. This area may feel hard, warm, and tender. The skin around the vein may be itchy and swollen. The area may begin to throb or burn.
Phlebitis is caused by chemicals, such as antibiotics or chemotherapy drugs such as EC or by mechanical irritation of the vein by the device such as a cannula. Can you prevent it? We try very hard to prevent it by diluting the drugs you receive so they are not too concentrated and therefore do not irritate your vein.
Cannula insertion is painful and causes distress to patients. The risks associated with it include infection, phlebitis and infiltration. Current guidelines in England are to routinely re-site peripheral cannulas every 72-96 hours.
The biggest concern in the short term is spread from the superficial veins to the deep veins. Long term, the phlebitis can re-occur. Rarely, infection can arise in the clotted veins, which is associated with high fever, and redness that extends well past the affected vein.
Many of the catheters need to be replaced due to phlebitis, infiltration, pain, or swelling at the IV site, but the rate of bloodstream infections associated with peripheral IVs is just 0.5 per 1000 catheter days.