IV infiltration and extravasation case review
Infiltration and extravasation injuries happen when IV fluid or medication leaks into the surrounding tissue. They are most serious in neonates and children and with vesicant drugs. The review asks how often the site was checked, whether early signs were recognized, and how quickly the infusion was stopped and treated.
What the nurse reviewer examines
- IV site assessments and their frequency against policy, especially in neonates and children
- Infiltration grading and documentation
- Vesicant administration practices and line choice
- Pump pressure alarms and infusion records
- Response: stopping the infusion, elevation, antidotes, consults
- Wound follow-up and photographs
Records to request
A starting checklist; the reviewer will flag what's missing once they have the chart.
- IV site assessment flowsheets
- MAR and infusion pump logs
- Nursing notes around the event
- Wound care and plastic surgery consults
- Photographs
- Policies on peripheral IVs, vesicants and extravasation
Questions attorneys ask
How often should an IV site be checked?
It depends on facility policy, the patient and the infusion. Policies for neonates and children commonly call for hourly checks; the review compares the documentation with the applicable policy.
What is the difference between infiltration and extravasation?
Infiltration is leakage of a non-vesicant solution; extravasation is leakage of a vesicant that can cause blistering and tissue death.
Consultants
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Describe the case without names. License-verified nurses in the right specialty send proposals with their experience and rate. Records are shared only after you hire, in an encrypted workspace.