Monday November 30, 2009
Bedside trick - Placing large bore IV in patients with suboptimal veins.

Firstly, a small-bore (20- to 24-gauge) hand or wrist IV started after applying a continuous-pressure tourniquet to the upper extremity. Without deflating the tourniquet, through the new IV, a crystalloid solution is given (50-60 mls), to distend all veins of the upper extremity. Now you can place a large bore catheter into the vein that wasn’t even there five minutes ago.