Failure to Assess and Remove Unnecessary IV Catheter
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide care and services that meet professional standards of quality by not assessing the continued need for a peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter for a resident who was admitted after spinal fusion surgery. Upon admission, the resident had an IV in place on the back side of her right lower arm, but there was no physician order or indication for IV fluids or medications. The resident expressed that she did not know why the IV had not been removed and found it annoying, though it was not painful. The admission and skin evaluation records did not document the presence of an IV, and the electronic medical record also lacked any order or indication for its use. Nursing staff, including a registered nurse and the Director of Nursing, confirmed that the IV should have been identified and removed upon admission, as there was no ongoing need for it. The facility's policy required physician orders for initiating IV therapy, specifying details such as dose, frequency, duration, and diagnosis, none of which were present for this resident. The failure to remove the unnecessary IV upon admission constituted a lapse in following professional standards and facility policy.