A PIV is a small, short (less than 1.5 inches) plastic catheter that is placed through the skin into a vein, usually in the hand, elbow, or foot, but occasionally in the head. WHY IS A PIV USED? A PIV is used to give fluids and medications to your baby. HOW IS A PIV PLACED? After sterile wash of the skin, a small catheter with a needle inside is placed through the skin into the vein. Once the IV is proven to be in the vein, plastic IV tubing is connected to the catheter. Not all PIVs will require fluid to constantly go through them. Those that do not have continuously running IV fluid may be referred to as “hep-locked”. This means that the hub of the catheter has been flushed with a small dose of heparin to keep the catheter clear, the turned off to prevent infusion. WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF A PIV? PIVs may be very difficult to place, especially if your baby is very chubby, very sick, or very small. Thus, it may take several attempts to place a PIV in your baby, and even then the nurse or doctor may not be successful. PIVs may often fail after only 1-2 days and may be changed periodically to decrease the risk for infection. Because of this, your baby may need to have multiple PIVs placed before completing fluid or medication therapy. If a PIV comes out of the vein and the fluid enters the tissue, the IV has “infiltrated.” This can cause the skin and tissue to get very irritated, occasionally causing a tissue “burn.”
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