I sure can't find anything on PubMed that explicitly says you should avoid venipuncture on the ipsilateral side as a UEDVT. My inclination would be to avoid it primarily because that arm could be swollen or painful and trauma could potentially result in a compartment-like syndrome. It sure would be nice to find literature addressing the topic, though! If one was to use rTPA to attempt to dissolve the clot, one would WANT to place the IV on the ipsilateral side to maximize the amount of unmetabolized drug that reached the thrombus. I did come across an article suggesting placing the catheter, in this case, as close to the thrombus as possible.
Keith W. Gilchrist, MSN, RN, PHN, OCN, CRNI, VA-BC
Oncology Nurse Navigator, David Grant Medical Center
Travis AFB, CA
I sure can't find anything on PubMed that explicitly says you should avoid venipuncture on the ipsilateral side as a UEDVT. My inclination would be to avoid it primarily because that arm could be swollen or painful and trauma could potentially result in a compartment-like syndrome. It sure would be nice to find literature addressing the topic, though! If one was to use rTPA to attempt to dissolve the clot, one would WANT to place the IV on the ipsilateral side to maximize the amount of unmetabolized drug that reached the thrombus. I did come across an article suggesting placing the catheter, in this case, as close to the thrombus as possible.
Keith W. Gilchrist, MSN, RN, PHN, OCN, CRNI, VA-BC
Oncology Nurse Navigator, David Grant Medical Center
Travis AFB, CA