Catéter intravenoso: características y usos

An intravenous (IV) catheter is a hollow tube that a doctor or nurse can thread through a vein to provide a route to administer medications and fluids directly into the bloodstream. IV catheters are usually placed in the hand, arm, or leg. Sometimes they are run into one of the internal or external jugular veins in the neck, or in a vein under the collar bone or in the chest. Some catheters are permanent and remain under the skin, while others are visible coming out of the skin, and usually remain in place for a fixed period of time.

An IV catheter.

Los pacientes sometidos a tratamiento por cáncer, SIDA u otras afecciones médicas graves pueden recibir un catéter intravenoso interno permanente. Los catéteres externos se utilizan a menudo en pacientes con enfermedades graves pero agudas. También se utilizan comúnmente en cirugía, como medicación y anestesia . Algunos medicamentos y nutrientes solo se pueden administrar por vía intravenosa, por lo que se debe usar un catéter.

Un goteo intravenoso a menudo se adhiere a catéteres intravenosos externos.

To place an IV catheter, a doctor or nurse cleans the skin around the area where the tube will be placed, and punctures the skin with a needle to gain access to the vein. He or she will then thread the catheter into the vein and attach it to flexible tubing that usually runs to a bag filled with fluids or medication. The procedure of placing the catheter is usually relatively painless, and most patients do not feel pain or discomfort once the tube is in place.

Intravenous catheters are tubes that medical professionals can insert into a patient's vein in order to administer medication and other fluids directly into the bloodstream.

These devices are safe for most patients, but healthcare professionals may have to seek alternative sites to place the tube if the skin around common placement areas is burned, injured, or infected. Most of the time, an IV catheter does not cause further problems, but it must be kept clean and sterile to prevent infection. Redness, pain, swelling, or warmth around the catheter are signs of possible infection and the tubing may be removed entirely or relocated to another area in patients who experience these symptoms.

The tubing can irritate the interior of the vein, causing it to trigger blood clots. These are typically small and harmless when the catheter is in the arm, hand, or leg, and this condition usually resolves on its own. Sometimes an IV catheter may pierce a vein entirely and cause internal bleeding, called a hematoma, which appears as a bruise or lump on the skin around the injection site. Most hematomas require no treatment and go away within a few days. Rarely, an IV needle may injure a nerve. Most of the time, nerves repair themselves within a few months, but occasionally surgery is necessary to correct the damage.