Why do hospital IVs drip?

Factual Questions
1

Why do hospital IVs drip? What does this accomplish?

2

I wondered that for years, then I figured it out, it’s so they can see that the fluid is actually moving. Without that, there would be know way to tell if, say the line is pinched and the fluid stopped. This makes it really easy to tell.
I’d imagine it’s a good way to tell how fast it’s going as well.

3

Joey P has it exactly right. The little drip chamber gives a rough idea of how fast the fluids are flowing, if at all.

My favorite fluid lines are the ones that are coiled, like a phone cord, with a swivel at the top. Lets the animal walk around in its pen without making us stress about the line coming loose.

4

It also has the added benefit of reducing air bubbles. The chamber neatly separates out any bubbles that may be in the bag.

5

Although it’s not an issue with the current era’s electronic infusion pumps, the dripping used to serve another function - it allowed a way to check the infusion rate, i…e. counting drips per minute and knowing that, say, 20 drips/min was the same as 75 cc/hr.

6

I never noticed that they do actually drip. I thought that was just a name. I just looked for an image but can’t find one that shows the drip. Anyone?

7

They drip up high, not where it goes into your arm. Here’s the best picture I could find quickly, on an aquarium site or something. But it has labels, which are nice: http://jjgeisler.com/reeftank/iv_drip_system.htm

The liquid drips from the bag into the drip chamber, and then flows smoothly through the spike into the tubing that connects to the patient’s body.

8

That picture has the tubing upside down. Bag, spike, drip chamber, tubing to patient.

9

Here are a couple of IV bags: http://www.cockeyed.com/personal/june/born/birth01.jpg
Note the drip chamber is at the bottom of the image. The fluid flows from the bag, drips into the drip chamber, then flows into the tubing to the chamber.

Here’s an image of the drip chamber: http://www.tbs.co.jp/houtoku/2004/image/040222.jpg
You can see the fluid at the bottom of the chamber.

Here’s a schematic of how a drip chamber is inserted into an IV bag: http://www.oncolink.com/coping/images/phit/insert_spike.gif

10

Thanks. I *thought *something was off there! :smack: