Infection from Intravenous Fluids - Malpractice Case

Infection from intravenous fluids are given through a needle or catheter (plastic tube). These are inserted in the vein by direct puncture through the skin, but the skin must be cleansed beforehand and the locations of the needles and catheters should be changes every twenty-four hours.

When allowed to remain in place for a longer period of time, the risk of infection substantially rises. There is a significant incident of death from overwhelming infection (sepsis) caused by the persistent use of catheters, which become contaminated.

The catheter site will be a source for external germs to invade the body directly into the blood stream.

Germs also grow in the small clots that develop around the catheters and are continually shed into the blood stream. In the presence of new and unexplained infection, all intravenous catheters must be removed and their tips cultured for germs. The failure to remove them is negligence.

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