CVME Insider: Nursing Knowledge That Matters

Intraosseous Devices The recognition of   the   intraosseous (IO)  vascular access  device in fluid resuscitation and stabilization of patients has been underrated for quite some time. Intravenous therapy alone has made significant strides in the past forty years. The need to administer a wide variety of fluids and medications to a patient and affect their circulatory system is critical in the resuscitation of patients in an emergent situation regardless of their underlying disease process. Rapid  vascular access  is required for many conditions to include but not limited to hypovolemic shock, trauma,  anaphylactic shock  and cardiac arrest . There have been several “leading national and international organizations” that have published position statements as well as performed research studies to advance the cause of the IO. The IO has served to change the standard of care in the emergency room in regards to the quick need for  vascula...

Free ECG Tip Placement Webinar by  International Vascular Access Expert Using x-ray to confirm PICC tip placement wastes clinical care time, exposes patients to harmful radiation, and delays medical therapy. The ECG Tip Confirmation Systems available on the market can help alleviate these problems by using an adult patient's cardiac electrical activity to position the tip of the PICC in close proximity to the cavoatrial junction (CAJ). Final tip location is confirmed by the nurse at the bedside and infusion therapy can begin immediately without the need for a confirmatory chest x-ray. In a clinical study, 99.1% of 114 PICCs were placed at the CAJ or within +/- 1 cm using Bard® Tip Confirmation Technology.   "Rare ECG tip placement webinar by international vascular access expert Mauro Pittiruti of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, Italy, is being offered free next month to healthcare professionals, in association with Vygon (UK) Ltd." ...

Being a member of the INS and AVA I have learned a lot in and out of these organizations and received a lot of support from many.  On the other hand their have been instances when certain nurses laugh at topics when attempting discuss alternatives to Infusion therapy .   Infusion therapy can be done with more than just a peripheral IV catheter or a central venous access device such as a PICC line or Sub-clavian line. These types of vascular access devices are great and have brought a lot of medical advances to the forefront; however, there is one device that is continually overlooked and even mocked; yet it has the same benefits and less complications than most if not all the other vascular access devices. The recognition of the intraosseous ( IO ) vascular access device in fluid resuscitation and stabilization of patients has been underrated for quite some time. Intravenous therapy alone has made significant strides in the past forty years. The need to administer a w...