2007-12-09 14:48:43 · 4 answers · asked by killa808 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
IV's are usually used to provide a patient with fluids, antibiotics, or other medicines through a direct pathway to the bloodstream. Removing a patient's IV will rarely - if ever - result in immediate death. Most patients - even those who are comatose - will survive if an IV is removed, as long as it is removed properly and there is no major blood loss during removal (some patients rip their own IV's out in a panicked state, which can lead to venous perforation and bleeding).
The story is somewhat different for patients presently on respiratory support... when a respirator is disconnected, the patient's nervous system - specifically, their brainstem - must be functioning well enough and have communication with the lungs via the spinal cord in order to maintain breathing. Again, some comatose patients may live for days after taken off respiration, others may die shortly after the machine is disconnected. It all depends on where the injury to their nervous system occurred.
2007-12-09 14:55:54 · answer #1 · answered by Kevin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IVs provide only two substances-fluids or medications. Unless the person is so cardiovascularly unstable that he requires high doses of IV drugs to keep his heart beating, removal of IVs will not result in death other than death by dehydration if they can't take fluids any other way-that takes 4 to 6 days.
2007-12-09 16:57:24 · answer #2 · answered by barbara 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
depends on what the IV's are for. Also depends on what the affliction of the person is. If it's an end of life care thing. It can not be said how long it will be. Could be a couple of hours or a couple of weeks or so.
2007-12-09 14:53:45 · answer #3 · answered by neon2054 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why did thy take them out? For Evey thing there is anther ans er
2007-12-09 15:05:22 · answer #4 · answered by lenora h 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋