Archive March 2008
A practical guide to venepuncture and blood sampling
Katie Scales has written this article that provides an overview of the knowledge, skills and equipment required for peripheral venepuncture. In her article Katie also provides a procedure
IV safety articles
Just found this excellent range of articles that examine the issue of sharps injury. Topics include current trends and future opportunities associated with percutaneous needlestick injury and a focus upon needlestick injury prevention. Click here to view the article.
IV problem video
I have shown the IV problem video at a number of conferences and it has received great reviews. However, the conference version of the video has a different soundtrack (which is subject to copyright), therefore we have produced a version with a different soundtrack (not the same impact) but we hope you find it useful. Click here [...]
ANTT video clip
ANTT video clip added to the IV videocast on the right. Great clip… I particularly like the IV dressing that has been placed the wrong way! Click here to view our video wall.
Infection prevention video
Martin Kiernan (click here for his blog) has just published an Infection Prevention advert. Another prompt to encourage us to think about infection prevention standards. Click here to view our video wall.
Needlefree alert
The MHRA have issued an alert that describes how the septum of a needleefree device may remain recessed. Click here to view the alert.
Community IV’s for children
Just had a request for information concerned with children in receipt of IV’s in the community. I could not help much However, I am aware of the RCN publication Administering IV therapy to children in the community. If anyone has any additional information I am happy to post on this site.
Dennis Quaid speaks out about drug error
The actor Dennis Quaid speaks out about the drug error that nearly killed his twins. In the Quaid family case, heparin was mistakenly administered rather than the IV flush solution ‘heplock’. Follow this link to view Dennis Quaid being interviewed.
$850,000 settlement following drug error
A number of medical errors lead to the the dearth of a three year old at a Florida hospital. Following the $850,000 settlement the hospital has also developed and infusion center in an attempt to improve IV
BARD buy safety needle
The IV device market continues to consolidate as BARD pay $68 million for Specialized Health Products International Inc… the company primarily make safety needles for the intravenous chemotherapy market. “The deal represents a good fit, in our view, and should be neutral to earnings in 2008,” said Lehman Brothers analyst Bob Hopkins, in a note to investors.Click [...]
Driving whilst under the influence
Well it had to happen… a report today has described how a man in china who was tired of waiting for medical treatment hung his IV bag from the rear-view mirror of his car and attempted to drive home…
European needlestick legislation on the cards
The European Union is consulting on legislation to ensure healthcare workers have more safeguards against the potential for needlestick injuries. It is suggested that the proposed legislation will include
New IV book
Lisa Dougherty and Julie Lamb have published the second edition of their superb IV book “Intravenous Therapy in Nursing Practice”. Click here for a description.
The colour purple
Interest in high pressure, high flow PICC’s is growing. However, Deborah Bolton, IV Clinical Nurse Specialist from Brighton has questioned the colour of these devices. The NPSA issued a patient safety alert in 2007 that promoted the use of identifiable oral only compatible equipment. This was in response to…
Blood and gauge
An interesting issue has formed the basis of an argument for many years. Can you safely deliver a blood transfusion via a small gauge cannula? In practice we have used 22g cannula for almost a decade in
The role of peripherally inserted central catheters in the treatment of the critically-ill
Santolucito (2007) describes how technological advancements, which include triple lumen and high flow PICC’s are influencing the choice of vascular access device in critical care areas. The author also
Cardinal acquires Enturia
“Cardinal Health, a global providor of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of privately held Enturia Inc. for $490 million”.
Achieving zero catheter related blood stream infections
A fifteen month period of zero catheter related blood stream infections! That was the result of the implementation of an innovative central line care bundle as described by the author Sophie Harnage.
Venous assessment tool
This article describes the potential benefit of a vascular access assessment tool to determine the most appropriate vascular access device for patient in receipt of chemotherapy. The authors explain a
Intramuscular (IM) injection techniques
If you want to read a comprehensive overview of intramuscular (IM) injection technique this article Janet Hunter will provide an excellent overview. Potential injection sites are reviewed and the diagrams
Nurse killer
Colin Norris was today told that he would serve a minimum of thirty years in jail after being found guilty of killing four patients in his care. Other cases include that of serial killers Harold
