IV Lawsuit Essay -- Medicine Healthcare Nursing

Most patients who enter the hospital for care have some form of intravenous therapy during their stay, whether it is in the emergency room or on inpatient floors. IV catheters are vital and are the fastest way to administer life saving medications. At times inserting or replacing a peripheral IV catheter can be challenging especially when the patient has poor circulation or poor venous access. In healthcare today Peripheral IV insertion lawsuits are on the rise due to its invasive character and unanticipated outcomes. In a lawsuit by Sheivia Graves against Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham â€Å"alleges that a difficult and painful IV start performed by a nurse at Brookwood Medical Corner caused permanent Nerve damages.† (Steinriede (2010) Steinriede (2010) found the following: The nurse who started the infusion first tried the left arm, then the left hand and finally the back of the right hand. As soon as the infusion started, Ms. Graves "began experiencing severe pain in her right hand and [it] caused her to start crying," according to court documents. When Ms. Graves complained to the physician who began infusing anesthetics through the IV, he told her "they were already behind and that she would just have to endure it. Just after the GI exam, Ms. Graves looked at her hand and noticed that it was swollen "like a boxing glove,"(Steinriede, 2010) The hospital was able to argue effectively that other factors that the patient was experiencing at the time such as iron deficiency anemia, ulcerative colitis and fact that patient had received blood transfusions could have also cause nerve damage. (Steinriede, 2010) Also documented by the nurse was that the right arm was swollen prior to the peripheral IV insertion and that she ... ...ws, the awards are based on the determination of the percentage of fault of both parties.† (Evan, M. & Aiken, T., 2009, pp 184) Works Cited Evan, M. & Aiken, T., (2009): Nursing Law and Liability. J.T. Catalano (5th ed.) Nursing Now! Today’s Issues Tomorrows Trends .Philadelphia, PA: F.A.Davis Masoorli, S., (2008) Extravasation: Prevention is the Best Treatment. Nursing Spectrum retrieved from http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008304080015 Spader, C., (2006, May 8) IV Insertion-Still a Special Skill. Nursing Spectrum retrieved from http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006605080330 Steinriede, K., (2010, November 5) Lawsuit: Did a Painful IV Start Cause Nerve Damage? Patient’s hand was swollen like a boxing glove during GI procedure. Outpatient surgery Magazine retrieved from http://www.outpatientsurgery.net/news/2010/11/5