Part 4 in a Series: Ultrasound-Guided IV Line Placement

It's time to be fearless and embrace the true utility — and maybe implement a new policy in your ED — of ultrasound-guided intravenous (IV) line insertion. Many physicians, NPs, and PAs already know how to place US-guided IVs, but we can help teach those who don't. Provider teaching can be in the form of real-time IV placement or a short 60-minute procedural training course open to all those who are interested. You can even use our procedural videos to help get you started! (http://emn.online/Mar16PP.)We all know our difficult patient population includes prior IV drug abusers, obese patients, patients with chronic illnesses, and hypovolemia. Let's make the procedure less painful for them! No one is asking for our nurses to place central lines or diagnose a DVT using US, but basic understanding of US technology is not difficult and can be beneficial for the patient. A delay in establishing vascular access can result in a delay in the administration of a fluids and medications.Patients frequently experience delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Multiple attempts at attaining vascular access also result in frustration and a loss of productivity by the treating team. (Clin Pediatr [Phila] 2009;48[9]:895.) (Rauch, Dowd, Eldridge, Mace, & Schears, 2009). Nurses and technicians are more likely to establish a well-placed, working IV site once they can identify the veins and arteries on the screen. This could help speed up treatment for a patient who ne...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs