Why do ivs hurt

Or a squirming, howling toddler. Or a child with chronic illness who has had so many IVs that her veins are scarred down and difficult to access. A bit of a game changer from the typical adult garden hose veins. Sometimes people will describe being able to feel the cool temperature of fluids going in through the catheter but if there is pain at the IV site, then it should be assessed right away to make sure it is still patent and freely flowing.

You should have a general understanding of why the IV is being established. Medicine delivery: Some medicines need to get to the intended target quickly and for that reason they need to be given right into the vein. IV medicines are also used after a patient has tried a course of oral medicines without improvement. Or your child? What was your experience like? There are, of course, a few tricks of the trade that might be helpful for you to know- The IV should be placed in the location where it is most likely to be successful.

If there are multiple potential good sites for placement, then putting the IV in the non-dominant upper extremity the one NOT used for writing is best because it allows for continuing usual activities easier. IVs are always more difficult to obtain and maintain in a dehydrated person.

Speak up! If you know that you have a gigantic vein in the side of your wrist, or if your child has a stovepipe in the bend of her left arm, let your healthcare team know! If you have to make two attempts instead of one, it rather defeats the object of the exercise. I always use local for anything other than the very smallest cannula, but some doctors are not comfortable with it. Then there are IM injections. It's an easy way of giving drugs, but painful and unreliable. Simini states that "IM injections should belong in the past".

Here, it is not the puncture of the skin that causes most pain, but the forcing of fluid into muscle fibres. The absorption from muscle into the bloodstream can be erratic, particularly in a shocked patient. On the whole, drugs are far better administered by the IV route, where their effects are immediate and predictable.

Generally speaking, doctors don't impale people just for the sake of it. But my advice is that if you're about to have a large drip put in and your physician says, "It'll only hurt a bit," ask if she's ever had one. Then ask for some local first.

Your Care Instructions Medicines or fluids may be given through an intravenous IV tube inserted into a vein. How can you care for yourself at home? Check the area for bruising or swelling for a few days after you get home. If you have bruising or swelling, put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.

Shower or bathe as usual. Be gentle using the area around the IV site for a day or two. But you should be able to do your normal activities. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if: You have signs of infection, such as: Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.

Red streaks leading from the area. Pus draining from the area. A fever. Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if: You notice a lump at the IV site.