Hello fellow Vascular Access specialists! A question has come up in my facility regarding PIVs placed in facilities outside of ours.
For example: If a patient has an IV placed in the field by EMS, this IV is changed within 24 hours r/t potential emergent/not-so-clean placement.
If a patient is transferred from another hospital with a peripheral IV, is this IV changed within the facility's determined time period to match that of the EMS stick or is the site/IV preserved and changed as clinically indicated (or within the 72 - 96 hr period that might still be utilized)?
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Hello!
Our facility will leave an existing IV site from a hospital or clinic setting, provided the site is properly labeled with date and time of insertion and site is without complications. This site is changed using our 72 hr policy. The same is true for portacaths accessed by homecare, another hospital or clinic setting...again provided the site is labeled with date and time and free of complications. We will leave the access until the routine 7 day needle change is due. Our rationale for maintaining these sites is that other medical institutions adhere to a strict protocol for proper site preparation for venipuncture . Whereas out in the field environment for EMS, other factors beyond control can come into play for possible site contamination. Hope this helps.