Failure to Timely Remove IV Catheter After Completion of Therapy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to remove a resident's intravenous (IV) catheter after the completion of ordered IV hydration therapy. The resident, who had a history of hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes, was cognitively intact and required substantial assistance with activities of daily living. Physician orders specified that IV hydration was to be administered until a specific date and time, after which there was no order to maintain the IV access. Despite this, observation revealed that the peripheral IV line remained in place on the resident's forearm two days after the hydration therapy was completed. Interviews with nursing staff and the Director of Nursing confirmed that facility policy required IV catheters to be discontinued promptly after therapy unless there was a physician's order to keep the access. There was no documentation of such an order for this resident. The facility's policy and procedures also indicated that peripheral IV catheters should be removed safely and aseptically by a competent nurse when therapy is completed. The failure to remove the IV catheter as required constituted a deficiency in following professional standards for IV administration.