Types of Tubing for an IV

Intravenous therapy, or IV therapy, is a type of treatment very common in the United States and around the developed world. Once an IV is inserted into a patient, medicine and fluids can pass directly into the bloodstream, reaching the heart and other areas of the body faster, resulting in a quicker recovery time. The uses of IVs are varied and so are the types of tubing used with them.

Primary Sets

• Primary sets, or administration sets, are about 60 inches or longer in length and are typically used in conjunction with an IV pump or used by themselves for gravity infusions.

Extension Sets

• Usually between 3 and 55 inches long, extension sets have many uses. They are used near the patient site and can be in one piece, forked (bifurcated), or divided in three parts (trifurcated).

Secondary Sets

• Sometimes called piggyback sets, secondary sets are used with primary sets and connect to a Y-site on the primary line. They usually measure between 20 and 45 inches long.