Question

The patient's venous needle has infiltrated, and another needle will need to be inserted, the care giver would insert the needle __________ the infiltrate and apply __________ to the area.

Answer 1

A caregiver would insert a new venous needle above the site of infiltration and apply a cold compress to the affected area. The placement of IV bags relative to the arm is crucial for fluid flow, with IV bags being set higher and blood collection bags lower than the site of needle insertion.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a patient's venous needle has infiltrated, the caregiver would insert the needle above the infiltrate and apply cold compress to the area. This is done in an attempt to reduce swelling and discomfort while establishing a new venous access point for the IV infusion. The IV bag must be placed at a certain height above the entry point to ensure proper fluid flow; typically, it is positioned at 0.24 m or more above the site of needle insertion in the arm. On the other hand, bags used for blood collection are situated below the donor, facilitating the flow of blood from the arm to the bag due to gravity, which demonstrates the importance of bag placement relative to the site of needle insertion.