I was put to sleep for an outpatient test 3 weeks ago. When the meds that were to put me to sleep entered into the iv, it was not in the vein, so it entered into the muscle and tissue of the forearm. It was extemely painful at the time, but now, 3 weeks later it is still painful and my skin looks burnt with a raised blistery rash. Will this ever go away? And will I suffer any permanent damage to my arm from this? Also, is this something that happens
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IV meds administered incorrectly
- Thread starter Deme
- Start date
Hi there, I'm Alice. An iv can infiltrate and the medication can go into the tissue. When an iv is started, the nurse or doctor will check for blood return to make sure the catheter is in the vein. If they get no return, they do not start the medication. An iv can slip out of the vein all on its own for different reasons and is not always the fault of the nurse or doctor. The medications may cause short term conditions, but should go away. If you are concerned then ask questions from your medical professional of choice. They can give you more insite on your reactions and concerns based on the time you were under and the medication administered. Feel better. Alice.
Metal Mafia
New member
that blood 'return" is called a 'flash" that 'should fill a tiny chamber right above where the end of that IV cath just 'is' ? if YOU don't know for certain the actual "flash' was even there, you actually could have had a very inexperienced nurse or tech actually doing this who NEVER actually even HIT that vein to begin with? the most common form of actual 'infiltration" is what is a "thru and thru", where that needle/cath was not held as paralell to the vein as it should have been right at the very beginning, so when they stuck that actual needle in, it goes right thru that vein instead of INTO it? if that angle is not right, that needle will not be placed right into that vesel to even begin with here?
and if they are stupid enough to actually even RUN the meds into it after not hitting the vein/not seeing that lil flash, since this IS all started right at the very same time, they would have or should have noted it, esp when that forearm started to actually bulge with the actual meds that were not running thru into that vein they missed? the thing here is, if you are NOT moving at all and that arm was simply lying there during this procedure of starting the IV and starting to put you to sleep, it would be pretty difficult for that cath to simply 'pull out' on its own the way it would have had to if this was not screwed up at the very beginning? YOU, would not have BEEN moving enough to create that since they also secure that IV now with a tegaderm ON it/over it? it should have stayed put all by itself.
i really do think whoever did this TO you is the one responsible for what you are dealing with right now, and that hosp where this was even done is always responsible for the treatment given by 'their" own staff as well? depending upon just exactly what that particular IV med(s) even was they were using that got placed into muscle and tissue could very easily have possibly created what are "burns, or a burnlike reaction to tissue that is NOT ever supposed to simply come into contact with this med under the skin? the mere fact that this is even showing on the top of your skin at all is what really kind of bothers me the most here this far out?
if i were you, i would simply go BACK to that very same place that did this too you to have that area fuilly evaled for ANY possible permanent damage or at least for this to be documented if things are simply not absorbed and YOU could end up with some levels of certain problems developing from this too? its one of those cover YOUR butt types of things that simply does tell that hosp that you DID suffer what sounds like a pretty profound reaction to what they 'did to you" while you were under their care there? and THEY simply OWE YOU some better answers as to what the med was that got inadvertantly injected/ran into the arm instead of the vessel there and ANY potential consequences from this even occuring. alot kind of depends upon exactly what this med was and how the underlying tissue and muscle would even repsond to direct contact from this in a place it was NOT supposed to be at all? some meds are just VERY irritating/inflammatory to tissue and esp mucle where the muscle does not like ANYTHING injected into it either, let alone running an IV of fluids into that whole area?
i just do find it pretty hard to believe that YOU yourself, just given the situation this was even "done' to you at all, and immediately going into procedure and 'out' after it was finally done right that you yourself could have even POSSIBLY pulled that cath out all by yourself(this type of thing would normally/more likely occur after DAYS of moving and just it working its way out? not in this type of case at all), but instead this occured way before AT the initial attempt at simply setting up an IV to deliver the needed meds(i highly doubt whoever just did that insertion could have possibly even gotten a good flash either considering just where that needle ended up)? the IV itself is just way too secure now days with that tegaderm holding everything right exactly in place once that needle gets inserted and the cath is left? i personally would think that this just really was a level of real negligence on whoever attempted this the first time? that actual cath that is left once they use the steel needle to place it, is just pretty long and pretty far into that blood vessel to pull out with almost no movement that YOU would have been doing when this was done right before a procedure you were not actually going to even be awake for either?
believe me, sick crap like this just DOES occur even in any 'good' hosp like every single day to someone with something stupid, so you are not alone there unfortunetly. i was almost overdosed on my anti siezure meds once and also ended up with blood poisoning after some idiot did a simple blood draw on me too in an ER? hospitals are simply very dangerous places to even be a patient in these days.
but, like i mentioned above, do see the ER of the hosp and be thoroughly checked out in that area for ANY possible damage done to the muscles down to your hand/fingers. find out just 'why' you have what appears to be almost a burnlike affect actually ON your outter skin and why,and just THIS far out from when it even occured, and find out what exactly was allowed to run into your ARM and tissue and not into the dang vein as it should have been(and any potential consequecnces for THOSE meds they used too)? and make certain they DO accomodate ANY real pain you are suffering from this 'appropriately' and just what the heck IS going on "under" that area right now too. and do NOT pay a freaking dime for this since this was created by someone on their own staff? honestly,at three weeks post incident like this, you realistically, if this was all absorbed, you should definitely NOT be seeing anything like what you are actually on the outter layers of the skin like this at all? it needs to be "looked at' underneath that area just to make certain there is 'nothing going on at that level too"? or even some form of a possible infection there? everything needs to be checked and the most impactful types of possibles simply ruled out right now too.
i would also make darn CERTAIN to also bring someone with you too, just as an advocate and a witness to things as well? you WILL be treated much better if anyone else is also there to just witness this? i would also very highly recommend that you call the hosp(don't ask while you are there) and ask to have a release of information sent out to you so you can request EVERY single medical document in your central medical file from the IV starting on thru out this whole stay just to see IF this was even documented as it should have been and HOW it was documented. this was an 'incident" that did need reporting mostly because the area started to swell up as they SAW it happen. if for some reason this was NOT actually reported, you DO NEED to speak with the admin of that hospital him or herself to make certain that everything suddenly 'comes to light" in this?
but DO go i there and get them to help you and get some freaking answers as to what in the hell is going on in your arm right now. i would also try and write down whatever YOU recall from the initial IV blunder to what you simply have been feeling/dealing with in all this and just how this actually looks too? if possible, have someone take an actual picture of this as it looks from what you described here? that may help more down the road if these people decide to get nasty on you. or very simply will not actually even take the responsibility they should in this.
just keep in mind that this WAS actually 'done TO YOU, and you do have some rights here too. just get this checked out as soon as you can since it does sound like at the very least here you are having some form of actual reaction to whatever was fed into that area of your arm like THREE weeks ago now? this is just pretty far out from the initial day to even have this going on right now hon. at this point they DO need to be checking for ANY potential underlying damage or 'process" that simply could have been triggered by that one idiotic IV start attempt. you need to ask questions and DO not leave til you get some good solid answers too. i do wish you luck with this. i just personally do not think this IV was EVER actually IN any real vein at all given all this and what you described initially occured. please DO keep us all posted, FB
and if they are stupid enough to actually even RUN the meds into it after not hitting the vein/not seeing that lil flash, since this IS all started right at the very same time, they would have or should have noted it, esp when that forearm started to actually bulge with the actual meds that were not running thru into that vein they missed? the thing here is, if you are NOT moving at all and that arm was simply lying there during this procedure of starting the IV and starting to put you to sleep, it would be pretty difficult for that cath to simply 'pull out' on its own the way it would have had to if this was not screwed up at the very beginning? YOU, would not have BEEN moving enough to create that since they also secure that IV now with a tegaderm ON it/over it? it should have stayed put all by itself.
i really do think whoever did this TO you is the one responsible for what you are dealing with right now, and that hosp where this was even done is always responsible for the treatment given by 'their" own staff as well? depending upon just exactly what that particular IV med(s) even was they were using that got placed into muscle and tissue could very easily have possibly created what are "burns, or a burnlike reaction to tissue that is NOT ever supposed to simply come into contact with this med under the skin? the mere fact that this is even showing on the top of your skin at all is what really kind of bothers me the most here this far out?
if i were you, i would simply go BACK to that very same place that did this too you to have that area fuilly evaled for ANY possible permanent damage or at least for this to be documented if things are simply not absorbed and YOU could end up with some levels of certain problems developing from this too? its one of those cover YOUR butt types of things that simply does tell that hosp that you DID suffer what sounds like a pretty profound reaction to what they 'did to you" while you were under their care there? and THEY simply OWE YOU some better answers as to what the med was that got inadvertantly injected/ran into the arm instead of the vessel there and ANY potential consequences from this even occuring. alot kind of depends upon exactly what this med was and how the underlying tissue and muscle would even repsond to direct contact from this in a place it was NOT supposed to be at all? some meds are just VERY irritating/inflammatory to tissue and esp mucle where the muscle does not like ANYTHING injected into it either, let alone running an IV of fluids into that whole area?
i just do find it pretty hard to believe that YOU yourself, just given the situation this was even "done' to you at all, and immediately going into procedure and 'out' after it was finally done right that you yourself could have even POSSIBLY pulled that cath out all by yourself(this type of thing would normally/more likely occur after DAYS of moving and just it working its way out? not in this type of case at all), but instead this occured way before AT the initial attempt at simply setting up an IV to deliver the needed meds(i highly doubt whoever just did that insertion could have possibly even gotten a good flash either considering just where that needle ended up)? the IV itself is just way too secure now days with that tegaderm holding everything right exactly in place once that needle gets inserted and the cath is left? i personally would think that this just really was a level of real negligence on whoever attempted this the first time? that actual cath that is left once they use the steel needle to place it, is just pretty long and pretty far into that blood vessel to pull out with almost no movement that YOU would have been doing when this was done right before a procedure you were not actually going to even be awake for either?
believe me, sick crap like this just DOES occur even in any 'good' hosp like every single day to someone with something stupid, so you are not alone there unfortunetly. i was almost overdosed on my anti siezure meds once and also ended up with blood poisoning after some idiot did a simple blood draw on me too in an ER? hospitals are simply very dangerous places to even be a patient in these days.
but, like i mentioned above, do see the ER of the hosp and be thoroughly checked out in that area for ANY possible damage done to the muscles down to your hand/fingers. find out just 'why' you have what appears to be almost a burnlike affect actually ON your outter skin and why,and just THIS far out from when it even occured, and find out what exactly was allowed to run into your ARM and tissue and not into the dang vein as it should have been(and any potential consequecnces for THOSE meds they used too)? and make certain they DO accomodate ANY real pain you are suffering from this 'appropriately' and just what the heck IS going on "under" that area right now too. and do NOT pay a freaking dime for this since this was created by someone on their own staff? honestly,at three weeks post incident like this, you realistically, if this was all absorbed, you should definitely NOT be seeing anything like what you are actually on the outter layers of the skin like this at all? it needs to be "looked at' underneath that area just to make certain there is 'nothing going on at that level too"? or even some form of a possible infection there? everything needs to be checked and the most impactful types of possibles simply ruled out right now too.
i would also make darn CERTAIN to also bring someone with you too, just as an advocate and a witness to things as well? you WILL be treated much better if anyone else is also there to just witness this? i would also very highly recommend that you call the hosp(don't ask while you are there) and ask to have a release of information sent out to you so you can request EVERY single medical document in your central medical file from the IV starting on thru out this whole stay just to see IF this was even documented as it should have been and HOW it was documented. this was an 'incident" that did need reporting mostly because the area started to swell up as they SAW it happen. if for some reason this was NOT actually reported, you DO NEED to speak with the admin of that hospital him or herself to make certain that everything suddenly 'comes to light" in this?
but DO go i there and get them to help you and get some freaking answers as to what in the hell is going on in your arm right now. i would also try and write down whatever YOU recall from the initial IV blunder to what you simply have been feeling/dealing with in all this and just how this actually looks too? if possible, have someone take an actual picture of this as it looks from what you described here? that may help more down the road if these people decide to get nasty on you. or very simply will not actually even take the responsibility they should in this.
just keep in mind that this WAS actually 'done TO YOU, and you do have some rights here too. just get this checked out as soon as you can since it does sound like at the very least here you are having some form of actual reaction to whatever was fed into that area of your arm like THREE weeks ago now? this is just pretty far out from the initial day to even have this going on right now hon. at this point they DO need to be checking for ANY potential underlying damage or 'process" that simply could have been triggered by that one idiotic IV start attempt. you need to ask questions and DO not leave til you get some good solid answers too. i do wish you luck with this. i just personally do not think this IV was EVER actually IN any real vein at all given all this and what you described initially occured. please DO keep us all posted, FB