chapter 13 concepts of infusion therapy Flashcards
Infusion therapy
is the delivery of medications in solution and fluids by parenteral (piercing of skin or mucous membranes) route through a wide variety of catheter types and locations using multiple procedures.
Intravenous (IV) therapy
delivers solutions directly into the veins of the vascular system.
reasons for using infusion therapy are to:
- Maintain FLUID BALANCE or correct fluid imbalance
- Maintain ELECTROLYTE or acid-base BALANCE or correct electrolyte or acid-base imbalance
- Administer medications
- Replace blood or blood products
Infusion nurses may perform any or all of these activities:
- Develop evidence-based policies and procedures.
- Insert and maintain various types of peripheral, midline, and central venous catheters and subcutaneous and intraosseous accesses.
- Monitor patient outcomes of infusion therapy.
- Educate staff, patients, and families regarding infusion therapy.
- Consult on product selection and purchasing decisions.
- Provide therapies such as blood withdrawal, therapeutic phlebotomy, hypodermoclysis, intraosseous infusions, and administration of medications.
RN and peripheral IV lines
taught to insert LPNs can sometimes insert as well
The RN is ultimately accountable for all aspects of infusion therapy and delegation of associated tasks
CRNI
which stand for certified registered nurse infusion.
Tonicity
is typically categorized by comparison with normal blood plasma as osmolarity (mOsm/L)
normal serum osmolarity for adults
is between 270 and 300 mOsm/L.
isotonic
Parenteral solutions within that normal range
hypertonic
fluids greater than 300 mOsm/L
hypotonic.
fluids less than 270 mOsm/L
infusate
solution that is infused into the body
When an isotonic infusate is used:
water does not move into or out of the body’s cells
Hypertonic solutions are used to:
correct altered FLUID AND ELECTROLYTE BALANCE and acid-base imbalances by moving water out of the body’s cells and into the bloodstream
parenteral nutrition”
administered or occurring elsewhere in the body than the mouth and alimentary canal
hypotonic infusates move water:
into cells to expand them
Phlebitis
is the inflammation of a vein caused by mechanical, chemical, or bacterial irritation
Infiltration
occurs when IV solution leaks into the tissues around the vein.
swelling, coolness, or redness
discontinue IV and notify infusion therapy team and PCP
thrombosis
(blood clot in the vein)
Extremes of both osmolarity and pH can cause:
vein damage, leading to phlebitis and thrombosis
total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions have an osmolarity:
greater than 1400 mOsm/L
pH of IV solutions
3.5 to 6.2
vesicants
(chemicals that damage body tissue on direct contact
Drugs with vasoconstrictive action
chemotherapeutic agents
Extravasation
results in severe TISSUE INTEGRITY impairment as manifested by blistering, tissue sloughing, or necrosis from infiltration into the surrounding tissues
available blood components include
platelets, fresh frozen plasma, albumin, and several specific clotting factors.
Blood transfusion is given by
using packed red blood cells, created by removing a large part of the plasma from whole blood.
International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) universal bar-coding system
to ensure the right blood for the right patient
(1) a unique facility identifier, (2) the lot number relating to the donor, (3) the product code, and (4) the ABO group and Rh type of the donor.
adverse drug events (ADEs).
immediate serious reactions
things you need to know to give IV meds:
indications, proper dosage, contraindications, and precautions. appropriate dilution, rate of infusion, pH and osmolarity, compatibility with other IV medications, appropriate infusion site (peripheral versus central circulation), potential for vesicant/irritant effects, and specific aspects of patient monitoring because of its immediate effect.
same drug IV vs other route:
Regardless of familiarity with the drug, never assume that IV administration is the same as giving that drug by other routes
high-alert IV drugs:
restricted access, prominent warnings about the concentration, and storage in a secured location.
prescription for infusion fluids should include:
- Specific type of fluid
- Rate of administration written in milliliters per hour (mL/hr) or the total amount of fluid and the total number of hours for infusion (e.g., 125 mL/hr or 1000 mL/8 hrs)
- Drugs and the specific dose to be added to the solution such as electrolytes or vitamins