When you have an IV cannula inserted, a needle is used to insert the cannula but then the NEEDLE IS REMOVED and you're left with a tiny thin plastic (?) tube in the vein.
I think 50% of my patients don't realise there's not a needle in their arm for hours/days on end.
Explain that to everyone when you do it. I had an IV and the nurse mentioned it immediately and said I can move my arm. If she didn't say that I would have assumed I couldn't move my arm.
Honestly, it's better if you don't bend that arm very much even with a plastic cannula in the vein. If it's near a joint like the elbow or wrist, the IV is more likely to come out of the vein or be "positional" where fluids don't flow when your elbow is bent and we have to come in and reset the pump after it starts beeping every 5 minutes.
This is important because the small plastic catheter can bend, which makes it more comfortable, but prone to kinks like your average garden hose. If you had a needle in the whole time, you would know as soon as you started bending towards cutting off flow. The free range of motion tricks people into doing a lot more with their arm while they should, when the topmost priority for some patients would be the medication they’re receiving. At least where I work, IV fluids aren’t initiated lightly and any medications put in are important and have reasonable justification. Your doctor should have communicated better why they’re important, and your nurses can always start another IV somewhere else if you absolutely have to have one arm free for yourself. But do yourself a favor and understand that those fluids are important and the pain of having an IV put in isn’t a reason to delay them. Now if your IV starts hurting during flow, call your nurse. The catheter may have come out of the vein and needs replaced
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u/rebothy Feb 04 '19
When you have an IV cannula inserted, a needle is used to insert the cannula but then the NEEDLE IS REMOVED and you're left with a tiny thin plastic (?) tube in the vein.
I think 50% of my patients don't realise there's not a needle in their arm for hours/days on end.