Complications of Intravenous Therapy
Today, we’re going to go over a few of the complications that are possible during intravenous therapy. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but we want to list a few of the things that are possible so that you will be aware of them and know them. Beginning then with the first complication (possible complication) of intravenous therapy is incompatibility.
What we’re talking about here is that some of the solutions or medications that are being introduced intravenously are not compatible with one another. As they interact, you get bad problems that arise from that. Basically, the two substances meet and it may make the medicine inactive. It may precipitate out of the solution.
Now, you want to make sure that all the substances in an I.V. line are compatible with one another so that you don’t end up with an incompatible element which causes a great deal of problem by negating the effect of the medicine, or, once again, by causing some of it to precipitate out, which could cause other problems. The first thing to be aware of with intravenous therapy is the complication of incompatibility of one or more of the components going into the I.V. line.
Secondly, you want to be aware of extravasation. Extravasation basically means that the I.V. line has come out of the vein and is depositing the solution into the surrounding tissues around the vein. When this occurs, the patient often the experience of pain, redness, swelling appear at the site of the intravenous line, and if it’s not quickly dealt with, if it’s not corrected right away, there is severe tissue damage that can result from this.
You need to make sure when an I.V. line is there and I.V. therapy is taking place, that the I.V. is firmly in the vein and has not been removed from the vein and therefore depositing the solution in the surrounding tissues. The third thing you need to be aware of is a possible complication in intravenous therapy: Particulate matter. Particulate matter may be inadvertently present in an I.V. solution.
If it is, and it’s not detected and corrected, you can have a very adverse effect on the patient as this particular matter is introduced to the vein, causing them stress pain and other issues. Things to be aware of as you are doing intervenors therapy: Make sure all the fluids are compatible, that the intravenous line is firmly in the vein and has not come out and therefore depositing solution in the surrounding tissue, and that there are no particulate matters that you can see within the various solutions being introduced.
Another possible complication is pyrogens. Pyrogens are bacterial byproducts that, sometimes, are in I.V. solutions inadvertently, though they have been sterilized and should not be there for whatever reason they have been infused there. If they make their way into the patient, the patient may experience severe fever and chills. You need to be aware of pyrogens, as well as perhaps a possible complication to intravenous therapy.
If the patient comes down with severe pains and chills, this is the most likely culprit right here. Finally, the last possible complication that we want to talk about today is phlebitis. Phlebitis refers to an irritation or the vein caused by the intravenous catheter, or perhaps not the catheter itself, but by the substance being infused. Either the catheter or the substance causes an irritation in the vein.
The patient may experience severe discomfort from this, including red streaking along the vein. You want to be aware that this is a potential complication to intravenous therapy. All the substances are compatible. It remains in the vein and has not come out and therefore depositing the material in the surrounding tissue.
There’s no particulate matter that can be seen. Be aware of pyrogens as a possible problem, especially the patient comes down with chills and fever. Then, phlebitis and irritation or inflammation caused either by the catheter or by the substance being introduced, often known by discomfort of the patient and red streaking along the vein.