How do I thread an iv catheter?

Question

once you insert the angiocath and see the flash of blood what do you do next. after this point i always mess things up. once i see the flash and try to push the catheter off it doesn't seem like it wants to go. after you see the flash of blood do you insert the needle anymore or lower the needle angle?

Answer 1

you hold  the angio cath in place and slowly advance it as you slowly remove the needle.If you leave the needle in place you'll run the risk of blowing the vein. Be ready once that needle is out, the blood will be a flowin'. Your timing should be such that the cath is all the way in just as the needle comes out..don't forget to pop off the tourniquet..then attach the iv line or lock..i have seen people float a cath in..they get their flash back insert the cath a centimeter or so, remove the needle attach the fluid, and float the cath in while running the fluid. Good Luck!

Answer 2

Once you've inserted the angiocatheter and see the flash of blood, you should be in the vein (hence the blood).  Repositioning the needle at this point should not be necessary.  You should try to gently thread the catheter at this point, remembering that you can easily tear the wall of a thin vein if you're not careful, causing a local hematoma.

If absolutely necessary, you can pull back on the catheter a bit and give it a less shallow angle - sometimes this helps people thread better.  Regardless, the flash of blood tells you where you are, so let that guide you - don't keep repositioning the needle once you've hit the vein or you'll cause shearing and that vein will be useless.