Applying percutaneous medications is a delicate task. It requires the right amount of concentration and skill to ensure that the drugs are delivered correctly. If done incorrectly, it is possible for a person to become seriously ill or even die from infection due to an improperly placed catheter or needle. Whether you work as an allied health professional in an acute care setting, long-term care facility, home healthcare agency, hospice organization or other type of medical practice; understanding how best to apply I.V. medications will help you provide excellent patient care while also protecting your patients from harm and improving their quality of life! In this blog post we will discuss 10 tips for successfully applying IV meds when working with patients who need them. This is a list of the tips we will cover: – Make sure you have all materials on hand before starting. This means needles, syringes (and cannulas), alcohol swabs, tubing and IV catheters. – Before inserting anything into an I.V., wash your hands with soap and warm water to reduce bacteria transmission from one patient to another or from yourself back to yourself! – When placing any type of needle in someone’s vein for medication administration, it is important not to retract the plunger while still inside the person’s body. Plunging blood back out through the needle can cause serious injury to veins and tissue as well as infection risk due to exposure of infectious fluids that may
