2006-06-11 12:31:30 · 8 answers · asked by cabeto 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ First Aid
generally most IV lines hold only 5-10 cc of anything max and the average heck even the below average human heart can withstand easily 20-30 cc's of air with out any problem. think of it this way the heart is an imperfect pump it is very inefficient if you tried to sell it at home depot you would be laughed at, but a benefit of its ineffeciency is it already has air in it and can absorb more air. basically what happens is it get absorbed back into the tissue well before damage can be done now if you pump the same air into an artery a small amount can be life threatening quickly that is because that blood is on the way out from the heart and hasnt went through all the small veins, arteries and cappillary beds so it can cause a lot of damage such as stroke or embolus. But to do damage through a vein with an IV you would have to have a pump so that the air would be so great as to send itself through both chambers of the heart before the lungs and then make it in to the lungs and the only way i know that can happen is through some signicant trauma.
2006-06-12 22:29:16 · answer #1 · answered by cp7526 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If you are asking if an air bubble in an IV line is dangerous, then the answer is, depends on how big the bubble is. The tiny ones are no prob, if it is quite a bit of air, definitely!
2006-06-11 15:05:02 · answer #2 · answered by doctryluv 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are inquiring about an air embolism.
IV's are used primarily for 3 forms of tx, Fluid bolus: normal saline or lactated ringers, medication administration, or blood transfusions. When dealing with fluid boluses you are using either a 10 or 15 drip set, which means 10 drips per ml or 15 drips per ml. When you administering meds in a drip, it is usually a 60 drip set or 60 drips per ml. The tubing in an iv set is very small in diameter so an air bubble would be so small as to be unnoticed in the body.
2006-06-13 18:46:03 · answer #3 · answered by palerider911 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Small air bubbles are absorbed...long lines of air in a IV line would be dangerous.
2006-06-13 10:30:51 · answer #4 · answered by FloNightingGale 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A few bubbles won't hurt you. If someone pumped a syringe full of air or something through your line, you're kaput. P.S. Don't try that.
2006-06-15 13:14:30 · answer #5 · answered by thekilierdonut 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you would pretty much have to have the entire tubing full of air to possibly harm you
2006-06-14 13:58:50 · answer #6 · answered by nocitygirl21 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok if small amount not a prob...a significant amount u need to alert someone
2006-06-11 17:38:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
more details are needed in order to answer your question
2006-06-11 12:55:29 · answer #8 · answered by momma2more 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋