was in ER lots of times due to variou stuff (gallstones, excessive gas, GERD) and got an IV everytime
mom always got anxious when IV was about to end
2-3 times I was alone in ER and nurses were busy (car crash victims etc were brought in) so IVs got empty with plenty of air bubbles
only thing happened to me was in 1 of those my blood got up to the IV after 10 minutes or so but nothing else happened
why air bubbles in IVs are not an emergency or looked after instantly? When called on a empty IV (not dripping anymore) nurses act cool and cut the drip valve as if everything is normal
In: 73
There is pressure throughout the human body, with the exception of the operation of your lungs, which can draw a vacuum. This vacuum only exists in the cavity where the lungs are though.
The fluid in an IV bag flows into your veins because gravity pulls downward on the fluid, and the bag is always hung higher than your body. However, the air bubbles are buoyant. They float upwards in the fluid. This prevents large bubbles from entering through the IV needle. Tiny bubbles are harmless. It’s probably also worth noting that the bag is not pressurized. All the flow relies on gravity.
When your IV bag empties, it’s actually more likely that a small amount of blood will flow out into the IV than it is that the air will flow in. There is no suction in your veins, only pressure.
*Injecting* air bubbles involves pressure outside the body pushing inward. This is more dangerous because you can *force* dangerous amounts of air into the body.
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