IV Skills Help

[Dustdevil]

I may have to try that. Sounds like a good practice tool!

You understood him?? :?

[Scaramedic]

You understood him?? :?

:sign5:

[WendyT]

How about those veins that collapse, sometimes when the lab says to people like us, stop asking for the butterfly needle. I never did, but I got poked 5 times, before they gave it to me. So I told them the next time I see you and you can't get it on the first try I'm leaving.

Yes James, this medic took his glove off so he could find my vein.

The medic who worked on me back in Feb, did an AWESOME job!!

[tniuqs]

I may have to try that. Sounds like a good practice tool!

mobey: your always about the FOOD.

I bet you keep the chicken legs from IO practice for lunch too ? :roll:

Yes must agree with dust/ others, very good point's all, but not advancing just a tad more (~3mm) after the flash is a very common error.

But going "Blind into AC" IS ill advised as one could be starting an Art line inadvertantly.

SO NOT a good idea, look to your own arm for visual reference if needed.

Lighting:

LED (headlamps) are not good light source IMHO 'I found this out in a non-dedicated chopper once with very crappy lighting (an old hand me down Huey from Somalia I think)

LEDs tend have a bluish tinge which tends to obscure veins, but your mileage may vary.

cheers

[DirtJerZ]

I need some quick ideas. I seem to have hit a slump in my IV skills. I have an uncanny knack for finding every valve or anomaly lately. Where would you recommend I go to get back on track? I'm an Intermediate working very part time and also in a volunteer service. I don't have the luxury of someone standing over me helping me through every stick. Any ideas? Go to phlebotomy school? volunteer at the plasma center? I'm working on an A & P course but I need practical help. I am sure someone has had this problem before me. HELP!

Heres the best advice i ever got, "Just do it." Its true, if you think about it too much youll psych yourself out and miss more often. I placed this concept into action and found myself becoming more and more confident, and it works for intubations too People by me, like to call these skills "Monkey skills." they say you can teach a monkey to do it, but understanding why and when to do it, is alot more important.

[Leener77]

Okay, so I have almost no experience starting IV's as I'm just a basic (right now) but my paramedic wanted to show me how start a line. Soooo, our student let me stick him and then she let me stick her. I definitely felt that 'pop' right as i got in.....it was pretty weird. But it made me feel pretty good that I was successful at my first 2 attempts. One thing that my partner will sometimes do is take her flashlight and put it right up against the skin and sometimes this will help her to visualize the veins better and exactly what direction they are going in. Has anyone else ever used this technique? I've seen it help her and wondered if anyone else has used it.

[akflightmedic]

I have only done the flashlight trick when starting IVs on neo nates or infants.