Question

How high should the dialysate bag be when its infused?

Answer 1

For the dialysate fluid to enter the patient's vein adequately, the IV bag should be placed at a height of
`1.61 meters` above the entry point into the arm, which will overcome the vein's blood pressure and allow for successful infusion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns the correct height at which a dialysate bag should be placed during infusion to ensure the fluid enters the patient's bloodstream properly. To ensure that the dialysate fluid enters the vein under the appropriate pressure, the height should be calculated based on the pressure that needs to be exceeded. If taking into account that the blood pressure in the vein is
`18 mm Hg` above atmospheric pressure and assuming the fluid density being infused is
`1.00 g/ml`, the pressure is first converted into SI units, where
`1.0 mm Hg` equals
`133 Pa`.

The dialysate bag should be placed at a height where the fluid pressure exceeds the blood pressure within the vein at this gauge pressure. Calculations have determined that an IV bag should be placed at a height of
`1.61 meters` above the entry point to achieve the necessary pressure, assuming a collapsible IV bag and negligible pressure loss in the tubing. This ensures the dialysate fluid is infused smoothly into the vein by utilizing gravitational force.