The nurse assesses that her patient's intravenous solution has infiltrated into the tissues.What action should she take first?
A) Aspirate, then inject 0.5 mL normal saline.
B) Restart the IV line in a different vein.
C) Stop the infusion immediately.
D) Notify the primary care provider.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should first stop the infusion to avoid further tissue trauma.Because the IV has infiltrated,you must assume that the nurse has already checked the patency of the line by aspirating.There is no point in injecting saline because doing so puts even more fluid in the tissues.Injecting fluid to try to clear a clot from the catheter is not recommended because of the possibility of causing an embolism.Once the infusion is stopped,the nurse must assess whether the patient needs additional IV therapy.If so,a new IV line must be restarted above the site of infiltration or in the opposite arm.The nurse may need to inform the primary care provider if she is unable to find a new IV site or if she believes the patient no longer needs an IV.

The Nurse Assesses That Her Patient's Intravenous Solution Has Infiltrated