Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Mar-Apr;36(2):92-6.
doi: 10.1097/NAN.0b013e318282a4c2.

Determining optimal waste volume from an intravenous catheter

Rachel B Baker  1 , Suzanne S Summer, Michelle Lawrence, Amy Shova, Catherine A McGraw, Jane Khoury
Affiliations

Determining optimal waste volume from an intravenous catheter

Rachel B Baker et al. J Infus Nurs. 2013 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Waste is blood drawn from an intravenous (IV) catheter to remove saline or heparin before obtaining a blood sample. This study examines the minimum waste volume resulting in an undiluted sample. A repeated-measures design was used. Investigators placed an IV catheter in 60 healthy adults and obtained samples at baseline and following waste volumes ranging from 0.5 to 3 mL. A random effects mixed model was used to determine the stabilizing point, which was 1 mL of waste. Knowing that only 1 mL of waste is needed will prevent clinicians from obtaining extra waste and discarding blood needlessly.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Corbo J, Silver M, Atallah H, Bijur P. Comparison of laboratory values obtained by phlebotomy versus saline lock devices. Acad Emerg Med. 2007;14:23–28. - PubMed
    1. Fincher RK, Strong JS, Jackson JL. Accuracy of measurements of hemoglobin and potassium in blood samples from peripheral catheters. Am J Crit Care. 1998;7:439–443. - PubMed
    1. Himberger JR, Himberger LC. Accuracy of drawing blood through infusing intravenous lines. Heart Lung. 2001;30:66–73. - PubMed
    1. Lindley C, Sawyer W, Haddon T, et al. Comparison of PT, aPTT, and factor VII values obtained by concurrent sample collection by direct venipuncture and peripheral venous catheters. Pharmacotherapy. 1994;14:224–228. - PubMed
    1. Mohler M, Sato Y, Bobick K, Wise LC. The reliability of blood sampling from peripheral intravenous infusion lines. J Intraven Nurs. 1998;21(4):209–214. - PubMed

Publication types