Iv Fluid Infusion Speed

[dizzygirl]

hey all I was wondering..

for those of you who recieve IV fluids daily or at least on a regular basis..(or prn).. do you find that it makes a difference on how fast they run the fluid thru??

I ask b/c Im up to getting my fluids allmost 3 liters run thru over 36 hours..

I used to get it run thru faster.. started at 6 hours.. then 8 hour-10-12-24 and now 36..

we have found that i have some crazy reaction (ie.. rash--brain squeezong.. & so on) if it is ran thru any faster.. I was just wondering if any of you had similair problems of not being able to have it run thru fast.. i have a potsy friend who run 2liters thru a day in 2 hours! amazing..

[Lukkychrm42]

I understand the frustration that it must cause taking 36 hours to get in 3 liters. I don't do it daily, but when I get fluids, it has to be done slowly just because if they do a liter or 2 over 2 hours, I just spend the whole time peeing it out, so it does no good anyway.

As to the other POTSy problems or the other symptoms you mentioned, I've never heard of those in particular in conjunction with getting fluids... Even 3 liters over 12 hours for you?

This will probably sound really off the wall, but if you're getting a rash if you infuse too quickly, is there any chance that you might be having some reaction to something like one of the plastics... or even the salt (does saline for infusions exist in multiple concentrations?) or something that would give you whatever irritant in a higher concentration when you infuse quickly? I realize I'm grasping at straws here... Also, if the saline is too cold, I find it gives me a headache.

Hope you're doing better soon!!!!

[dizzygirl]

yeah 3 liters over 36 is long.. But they did it that way and made sure thta everything was latex free.. and i got no rash or anything.. so im wondering if my body as much as it needs the fluids just cant handle getting it any faster then 36 hours???

im guessing time will tell on this.. do it again and see if i get teh bizzarr symptoms..

[Sunfish]

for me i'd still be dehydrated if i got 3L over 36 hrs as i require more fluids than that to stay afloat .

With virtually no oral intake (perhaps 8oz/day), i need 4-5L of IVs every 24 hours. ~2L of this is in my TPN (IV nutrition) mix and the other 2-3L is normal saline. my infusion rate for 10 hours of the day (TPN) is just over 200ml/hr with another 2 hours to taper up & down. my saline is infused at 350ml/hr so i get each liter infused in just under 3hrs (thus 2L in just under 6hrs or 3L in about 8.5hrs).

i've never had a problem with having reactions from infusions at any speed. if it's too cold i will get cold, but that's about it. i get much more ill from NOT having enough fluids. in terms of my bladder i don't have to go as often since it doesn't work & i self cath, but i still go more with all of the infusions. it's not really less for me if i slow the saline down a bit though & then i'm hooked up 24/7 every day of the week. with my current rates i get between 2-5hrs "unhooked" depending on the day.

and lukky to answer your question there are different concentrations for saline...at least 2 that i know of, perhaps more. .9% is considered "normal saline", .45% is considered "half-normal saline"....at least that's what i'm aware of and what i've heard them called.

sorry you've had so much trouble with this dizzy...it must be frustrating. and it does make me still think "allergy", or at least reaction/sensitivity...not necessarily to latex but more so to something in the saline itself. some inactive mixer of some sort? such that your body can handle it at a slower rate but not faster. not sure how you'd figure this out but i hope somehow you get some answers.

melissa

[goldicedance]

A question for you: Do you measure all your fluid intake and fluid output? That might give you an idea about the effect of the IV fluids are having especially given different amounts of time.

Even during the periods of hospitalization, I was certainly getting more than 1 liter a day in IV fluids.

In recent times, I was getting about 2 liters in 2 hours. It was quicker because of the medaport.

Hope you get this sorted out sooner rather than later.

Lois

[Sunfish]

i figured i'd add back in that even prior to being entirely dependent on IVs (when i received saline intermittently at the doc's office) i received it fairly quickly...2L over about 6 hrs, though it varied a bit as it was a gravity drip.

melissa

[dizzygirl]

yeah my input and out put in measured thru out my stay.. some times i pee out more then i take in orally and IV.. and other time I dont pee like at all.. maybe 100cc if im lucky..

its a bit aggrivating .. my body reacting this way to fluids.. as it helps my potsy symptoms.. but over the past few montsh I ve been hestiatnt on going in for fluids b/c the benefits do not outweight.. the side effects..

Melissa I can help but think allergy too.. But to what im not certain... and ive asked quite a few people as well as docs about the squeezing in my brain.. gotta some different responses ranging from edema-bp spiking- to allergic reaction to "i dont know"..

part of the reason why my doc is running over 36 hours is b/c he is afraid that my BP is spiking to quickly and that that might be causing some things..

maybe im allergic to the hospital?? LOL..I spend way to much time there these days.. the 8th floor nursing staff knows me quite well after 9 months of this.. OYE..

I dont know.. I hope they figure it out soon too...it happens nearly everytime i get fluids.. no matter how fast or slow its run thru...

why i was wondering if any of you have a problem with how fast your fluids are run thru..

thanks for the input!

[AJVDK]

Hello,

Sorry I am just getting to this, this is the first day I am able to get back into things as I been so down. For my IV's I do a liter over 4 hours. But I only do 4 liters a week right now.

Amy

[morgan617]

anytime I've gotten fluids, it's been wide open, like 20-30 minutes/liter. It just makes me a little cold sometimes, and if I'm getting it, I'm too dry for it to make me pee much.

Unless you've got problems like Melissa, it would seem just as easy to drink the fluids as mess with an IV that gives you so many problems. Drinking a liter every 12 hours is only about 80cc's per hour, which isn't very much. 2 1/2 ounces or so. As bad as my gut has gotten, I do that easily, so i guess I'd say no thanks to dragging a pole around constantly, unless i couldn't do anything by mouth.....

But I don't know your history.....so it's just my opinion.....