Learning Center

Intravenous (IV) iron is a crucial treatment option for iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA), especially in cases where oral iron supplements are insufficient, poorly tolerated, or ineffective. It is important for clinicians who are infusing IV iron to understand how to administer IV iron, assess and intervene if hypersensitivity reactions occur, and treat post-infusion hypophosphatemia. In this session, we will provide guidance on the administration of and classification of IV iron formulations, classification of, and management of infusion reactions and treatment-emergent hypophosphatemia.

About 90% of hospitalized patients receive medication intravenously (IV), making IV therapy one of the most common practices performed by nurses and other clinicians. IV push medications can be particularly dangerous given the immediate bioavailability and the narrow therapeutic dose range, and reversing the effects may prove difficult. There are safety considerations associated with IV push medication preparation and administration. The results of an Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) survey revealed that 84% of the clinicians still dilute IV push medications, including prefilled syringes, and other clinicians enact additional improper practices including the manipulation of ready-to-administer (RTA) medications and dose adjustments. Unsafe IV push preparation and administration practices can lead to microbial contamination, medication errors, needlestick injuries, drug diversion, increase staff time, and medication waste. ISMP and the Infusion Nurses Society Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice recommend providing adult IV push medications in an RTA form to decrease the likelihood of errors and diversion. Clinicians have access to evidence-based practice standards, but in many organizations, a gap exists between understanding the evidence and implementing it. During this webinar, we will discuss the risks associated with IV push medication preparation and administration, barriers to implementation of evidence-based practice, and strategies to improve IV push medication safety including the benefits of RTA IV medications.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common diagnosis which occurs when body iron stores fall below the necessary levels to maintain steady state hemoglobin. IDA can be categorized into two main causes, low iron input (inadequate dietary intake or malabsorption) or increased iron output (usually from blood loss and rarely with urinary iron loss such as in nephrotic syndrome).

Management of hypersensitivity infusion reactions (IRs) with H1-antihistamine premedication and/or treatment is recommended for several biologics and chemotherapies used in infusion centers. The sole second-generation intravenous H1-antihistamine recommended is cetirizine. In this session, the presenter will review key clinical data available with IV cetirizine as well as clinical profiles of first- and second-generation H1 antihistamines used to manage infusion reactions.

Come learn how to handle the pitfalls in infusion nursing delivery. In this session, we will review the legal challenges with infusion nursing liability and offer reduction strategies. You will gain the tools you need in today’s lawsuit-prone health care system so you can protect one of your greatest assets—your nursing license. This is vital information for every infusion nurse.

Over the last decade, infusion nurses have been increasingly challenged by patients presenting with difficult vascular access, which is often the result of age, comorbidities, or damage from previous failed vascular access devices. Selecting and inserting the right device to meet patients’ clinical needs has become more difficult, and has been worsened by complex organizational factors. Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) continue to be the default devices chosen for short-to-moderate term peripherally compatible intravenous treatments. Although midline catheters (MCs) offer an alternate option, the uptake of this device has been limited due to a lack of clinical data supporting their use. This presentation will provide an overview of recent research involving MCs. It will include a summary of international guidelines and share the results from two recent randomised controlled trials (MCs vs PIVCs; MCs vs PICCs) conducted in Brisbane, Australia.

There is a lack of standardized IV push medication preparation and administration teaching strategies used in nursing programs throughout the US. This lack of standardization creates an alarming variation in clinical practice that places patients at a higher risk of harm. A new Evidence-Based Practice guide and checklist of best practice standards Based on INS’s Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice and ISMP’s Safe Practice Guidelines for Adult IV Push Medications has been published to educate student nurses, novice nurses, and experienced nurses, to assess competency in skill acquisition related to IV push medication administration.

Did you know that the properties of Infusion therapy play a crucial role in determining the most appropriate vascular access device for patients? They are critical factors to consider and can have a significant impact on patient care and outcomes. By understanding the importance of these properties, we can ensure that our patients receive the best possible treatment. During this session, we will explore this topic further to ensure we provide the best care for our patients.

Intravenous (IV) infusions are a common method of treatment in acute and outpatient care requiring an understanding of the vasculature as well as the characteristics of infusions and how they interact with the vein wall. Consideration is typically given to vein diameter with the placement of the most appropriate IV catheter gauge, but little attention is given to the velocity of blood flow as it relates to vein preservation. Vein diameter, valve locations, velocity of blood flow, volumetric blood flow—the 4 Vs—and the hemodilution ratio all play an important role in the safe IV delivery of medications and solutions. Knowledge about the 4 Vs is crucial for optimal site selection for a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC). Evidence supports blood velocity as an indicator of the future performance of an intravenous catheter. By applying the calculations for the hemodilution ratio, vein selection is optimal to achieve long-term dwell. Optimal hemodilution allows greater flexibility with the infusion of irrigating solutions, with blood flow and dilution protecting the vein while limiting complications. In this session, we will explore the results of a hemodilution study with a discussion on clinical implications.