More than 80% of patients require some form of I.V. therapy. Although nurses may not be required to insert all types of I.V. lines, they’re responsible for maintaining the lines and preventing complications throughout the patient’s therapy. Nurses also assist in minor surgical procedures, such as the insertion of central venous and arterial lines.

This chapter explains the types, administration, methods, and primary indications for I.V. therapy. You’ll review how to prepare I.V. therapy: how to insert, maintain, and remove specific lines and devices, how to control infection and maintain I.V. flow rates, and how to monitor the patient’s response to therapy. After reading this chapter, you’ll also know what various organizations recommend as best practices for I.V. therapy. Some of those practices rely on basic principles of science SCIENCE or are evidence-basedEB, representing research data. Many are endorsed by professional groups, such as the Infusion Nurses SocietyINS, the Oncology Nurses SocietyONS, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral NutritionASPEN, and the Institute of MedicineIOM. Practices relating to medication risks stem from the Institute for Safe Medication PracticesISMP and the American Association of Blood Banksaabb. Other practices derive from such organizations as the AABB, the American Heart AssociationAHA, the American Hospital Association and its Patient Care PartnershipPCP, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare OrganizationsJCAHO, the National Institutes of HealthNIH, and the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCDC. Still others are mandated by JCAHO, the Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationOSHA, and from specific manufacturers’MFR recommendations for the use of their products.