University of Scranton

Department of Nursing

Intravenous Therapy Laboratory Study Guide

 This required assignment should be turned into your clinical instructor on the day of the clinical laboratory.
 
Name  
1.   What should be included in the assessment of a patient receiving intravenous fluid therapy?
 
 

2.   Indicate the type of tubing that should be selected for the following IV therapy orders:
 
IV Therapy Order
Type of Tubing
D5 1/2 NS 1000 cc q8h  
D5W  KVO  

3.   When should an intravenous solution be delivered via pump instead of gravity?
 
 

4.   What is the percentage of sodium chloride (NaCl) in normal saline (NS) or physiological saline solution (PSS)?
 

5.   What is the percentage of sodium chloride (NaCl) in 1/2 normal saline?
 

6.   When spiking an IV bag, the spike touches the outside of the IV bag.  What is the most appropriate action?
 
 

7.   What should be included in the assessment of an intravenous infusion site?
 
 

8.   What the actual and potential nursing diagnoses for a patient receiving intravenous fluid therapy?
 
 

9.   How often should an intravenous infusion bag set at a KVO rate be changed? (See an IV therapy book for this information)
 
 

10.  How high should an IV bag be placed above the patient?
 

11.   Where in relation to the primary (P) bag is the piggyback (PB) bag hung if the infusion is via gravity.  Circle the correct relationship.

            1)         P               PB                            2)        PB                                          3)         P
 

                                                                                                    P                                                             PB
 

12.   Describe the major complications of IV therapy.
 
 

13.   Is flushing blocked IVs permissible? Why or why not?
 
 

14.   How often should IV tubing be changed?
 
 
 

15.   A patient's IV infiltrated this morning.  The IV site is red and indurated.  What is the most appropriate treatment at this time?
 
 

16.   How should IV therapy be documented in a narrative note?
 
 
 

17.   How would you determine the length of time for administering an intermittent infusion of an antibiotic?
 
 
 

18.   What are symptoms of an air embolism? How should the patient be positioned if the nurse suspects an air embolism?
 

19.  A patient with a central catheter is being assisted to turn to a more comfortable position when the IV tubing becomes disconnected from the catheter.  What action should be taken by the nurse to prevent air embolism?
 
 
 

20.   A patient receiving D5W at 100 cc per hour was reported to have 1000 cc in the bag at 7 AM.  At 9 AM, there is 950 cc in the bag. What observations nd interventions should be made?
 
 
 
 

21.  Indicate whether gloves are necessary for the following procedures related to IV therapy:
 
Procedure
Gloves
No Gloves
Changing an IV bag    
Adding an IVPB bag via a secondary set to the primary IV tubing    
Connecting an IVPB bag via a primary tubing to a capped angiocath    
Converting an IV to a capped angiocath    
Removing an IV catheter    
Changing the dressing for an IV catheter    

The following questions should be completed after the laboratory and turned into your clinical instructor.

22.  How many calories are provided in 1000 cc of D5W?
 
 
 
 

23.  A patient is getting two different IVPB antibiotics.  Is it permissible to use the same secondary infusion set?
         Why or why not?
 
 

24.  A patient's IV tubing disconnects from the catheter and blood is leaking all over the floor.  What is the most appropriate action?
 
 

25.  A patient is receiving  IV therapy via a gravity drip.  The bag ran dry and air is halfway down the tubing.
 

        Is the patient in danger of getting an air embolus at this point?
 

        How would you get the air out of the tubing before infusing the next bag?
 

        What might happen if you didn't act quickly?
 
 

26.  A patient has two intermittent infusions ordered for the same time at 8 AM:

            ampicillin  2 G IVPB q6h 8 AM - 2 PM - 8 PM - 2 AM
            metronidazole 500 mg. IVPB q8h 8 AM - 4 PM- 12 AM

        The patient has only one IV site.  What should be done to make sure that both medications are infused on time at 8 AM?
 
 

27.  How often and with what solution should a capped angiocath be flushed?
 
 

Copyright © 2000 Margarete Lieb Zalon

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