The patient has a peripheral infusion for the administration of antibiotics. Which action is most effective for the nurse to use to detect an intravenous (IV) therapy–related infection?

a. Use clean technique for dressing changes.
b. Palpate the insertion site through the dressing.
c. Change the IV tubing at 12-hour intervals.
d. Routinely apply an antimicrobial to the IV site.


B
The nurse palpates the insertion site gently through the dressing to detect any infection by checking for tenderness or swelling. Removing the dressing exposes the insertion site to conta-mination from the nurse's contact and environment and risk to the tissues. The nurse uses aseptic technique for IV dressing changes. IV tubing changes every 12 hours are excessive and costly. The nurse applies antimicrobial agents to the insertion site according to agency policy.

Nursing

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