Post Op IV sites

[Dexter Bob]

My arms are looking like I got worked over by a crazy person with a dull knitting needle. An IV in each arm "infused" I think they call it, and those areas are very tender, swollen, and red (Did Popeye have an AVR??) At the needle site I got some hard lumps. Both of those locations were where the Amiodarone was being delivered. Is this something that will go away or do I need to be calling somebody?

Being the "babe in the woods" that I am concernng surgery, thought I would ask the forum for it's sage advice

Bob

 

[Jkm7]

Having had a number of surgeries including two OHS, I've had tender spots and lots of black and blues/green that heal fine on their own but I've never had what you describe from any of the many IV's I've had.

I think I'd have my primary care doc have a look. It's possible there could be an infection and better to catch it early if that is the case.

Are they looking/feelling worse than when you were discharged?

You know our motto around here
When in doubt, check it out.

 

[Lionheart]

Bob,
My IV Sites took a little while to return to normal too, but I think the nurses told me to watch both IV and incision sites for redness, swelling, oozing and tenderness as a sign of infection. Your three symptoms suggest a call to your PCP.
John

 

[Bina]

While in hospital my left arm hook up became infused (heparin IV), it was PAINFUL.
Day nurse gave me Tylenol.
Around midnight another nurse (male) floated in, saw my arm and he almost cried. He reassured me, held my hand, and suggested a herbal type of rub for it. He scurried out, came back with it and gently spread it over my outside elbow area, wrapped the arm in gauze, and said to keep it warm. What a sweetie. I don't know if it was the herbal rub or the kindness, but it felt a bit better.
Please have it checked out.

 

[Dexter Bob]

I have only been home a couple of days and these IV infusions developed in the hospital. Today they don't look quite so angry or painful. I have to see my PCP on Monday for a ProTime stick so hopefully things won't go nutz before then requiring a trip to the ER.

 

[LisaD]

Infiltrated? Sometimes the IV does not hold properly and the fluid leaks into the tissue surrounding. It can take some time for the fluid to absorb, and it is painful from what I have seen. I am a nurse and seen it happen from time to time. Usually a warm compress will help.

 

[Luana]

My arms are looking like I got worked over by a crazy person with a dull knitting needle. An IV in each arm "infused" I think they call it, and those areas are very tender, swollen, and red (Did Popeye have an AVR??) At the needle site I got some hard lumps. Both of those locations were where the Amiodarone was being delivered. Is this something that will go away or do I need to be calling somebody?

Being the "babe in the woods" that I am concernng surgery, thought I would ask the forum for it's sage advice

Bob

Your IV infiltrated, that is the medication did not get in your blood, but instead in surrounding tissue. Same thing happened to me in the hospital with amiodarone and a nurse told me it's one of the more caustic medications when it gets in the tissues. My right hand was swollen a lot and for a few days I could barely move my fingers and it hurt a lot. The doctor ordered heat on it and after about 24 hours with a heating pad, it improved, but was still tender and painful. Took almost a week for all pain and swelling to go away.

If you can get a heating pad on the sore spots, it should help quite a bit, but you may have to use it 24 hours or more.

 

[Maryka]

OOOO! I hated those horrible black and blue spots all over my left arm! I thought I could not take another blood test the day I left the hospital! It hurt so very much each time they searched for a "good vein"! I hope your arms heal very soon!

 

[Luana]

Bob,
Do try a heating pad for about 24 hours to relieve the pain and swelling. Amiordarone is nasty and very painful when it infiltrates. They gave me warm gel packs in ICU, but they cool off rather quickly. I could not move the fingers in my right hand or use it to eat with until the swelling went down with the heating pad.
Luana