How to Flush Air Bubbles in an IV Line

Intravenous (IV) therapy may be administered to patients to maintain fluid and electrolytes, replace lost fluids, replace nutrients and vitamins, or to administer medications and transfuse blood. One of the most dangerous risks associated with IV therapy is air embolism, which is a blockage in the blood vessel caused by air in the bloodstream. Air embolism is a potentially fatal condition, although the minimum amount of air that is fatal to humans is unknown. Nurses must clear the air bubbles from an IV line before attaching it to the patient in order to prevent this problem.

Things You'll Need

• Saline solution or IV solution
• Pen
• Syringe

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Instructions

• 1

  Flush the line with saline solution or IV solution before inserting the line into the veripuncture device.

• 2

  Tighten the roller clamp to prevent the air from moving forward.

• 3

  Tap the section of the tubing just below the air bubbles to encourage the bubbles to move upward into the drip chamber.

• 4

  Wrap the IV tubing around a pen, starting below the air bubble. Each time you wrap it around, the air bubble will move farther up the line.

• 5

  Insert a syringe into an access point below the air bubble, open the roller clamp, and draw the air out into the syringe.

• 6

  Close the roller clamp to stop the flow of fluids and disconnect the IV line from the patient at a point below the air bubble.

• 7

  Hold the end of the tube over a sterile bag or container.

• 8

  Open the roller clamp and allow fluid to drip into the bag or pan only if the solution is a simple fluid, such as saline or glucose. As the fluid drains, it flushes the air bubbles out of the line.