How to Secure an IV Cannula

How to Secure an IV Cannula

Securing an IV cannula is an important part of inserting an IV cannula. When a cannula falls out or dislodges prior to arrival at hospital, I often look to the clinician who inserted it and assume that it was a poor clinician’s fault (even if the patient was the one to move and dislodge it).

Different Ambulance Services, Hospitals or Health Institutions have differing policies regard taping in or securing IV cannulas and in many Health Systems, the methods are left to the discretion of the clinicians inserting them.

I currently use an “all in one” Tegaderm, which makes life convenient.

To secure an IV cannula I:

Open the Tegaderm Package;

Remove the sheet and cover the entire cannula up and to the start of the IV valve (bung), and then attach as second strip of rigid tape over the top (which I use to write the date). Remember, an IV site without a date on it, should be removed, due to the obvious risk of infection.

As a general rule, an IV should stay in situ for greater than 3 days (although this may not be possible if the patient has difficult veins and requires on-going IV therapy).

Remember, the old technique of wrapping the cannula with a loop of tape or steri-strip has been found (and proven in a randomized controlled trail) to cause an increase in infection.