Intravenous Therapy or IV

Fluids are introduced intravenously into the body in order to replace supply and electrolytes (Pearson 2010). These are large amounts of fluid, electrolytes or nutrients administered to a patient who needs them and cannot take them orally. Medication is also administered intravenously by a physician or by a nurse. The physician informs the nurse on the type, amount, and the rate of the solution to be injected. The nurse is responsible for carrying out the physician's exact instruction to start the therapy and other responsibilities attached to the instruction. State laws specify which health care professionals can start an IV and administer it. Some States allow medical assistants with advanced training and physician supervision to start an IV. Medical assistants, however, should be aware of the risks as they are not trained to push IV medications. Although they become acquainted with IV therapy, it is not...
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