I Glossary
Air embolism: The presence of air in the vascular system that occurs when air is introduced into the venous system and travels to the right ventricle and/or pulmonary circulation.
Arterial blood sampling: Blood is obtained via venipuncture into an artery.
Basal infusion: Continuous rate of medication administration, regardless of demand attempts.
Block height: Level of epidural nerve block recorded by assessing the patient’s response to cold at various levels of the thoracic spine.
Blown vein: A ruptured vein that is leaking blood.
Breakthrough bolus dose: A dose of opioid or non-opioid medication administered by the nurse for breakthrough pain when a patient is receiving patient-controlled analgesia.
Catheter embolism: An embolism that occurs when a small part of the cannula breaks off and flows into the vascular system.
Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI): An infection caused by microorganisms introduced into the bloodstream through the puncture site, the hub, or contaminated IV tubing or IV solution, leading to bacteremia or sepsis. A CR-BSI is a hospital-acquired preventable infection and considered an adverse event.
Central venous access device (CVAD): A type of vascular access that involves the insertion of a tube into a vein in the neck, chest, or groin and threaded into a central vein (most commonly the internal jugular, subclavian, or femoral) and advanced until the terminal lumen resides within the inferior vena cava, superior vena cava, or right atrium.
Demand dose: Medication dose given on activation of demand (pressing the demand button).
Epidural: Administration of analgesics and anesthetics into the spinal fluid via an epidural catheter for severe pain management associated with surgical procedures or during labor and delivery.
Extravasation: A condition that occurs when vesicant solution (medication) is administered and inadvertently leaks into surrounding tissue, causing damage to surrounding tissue. It is characterized by the same signs and symptoms as infiltration but also includes burning, stinging, redness, blistering, or necrosis of the tissue.
Hypertonic solutions: IV fluids with a higher concentration of dissolved particles than blood.
Hypotonic solutions: IV fluids with a lower concentration of dissolved solutes than blood.
Infiltration: A condition that occurs when a nonvesicant solution (IV solution) is inadvertently administered into surrounding tissue. Signs and symptoms include pain, swelling, redness, the skin surrounding the insertion site is cool to touch, there is a change in the quality or flow of IV, the skin is tight around the IV site, IV fluid is leaking from IV site, or there are frequent alarms on the IV pump.
Intravenous therapy (IV therapy): Administration of a substance directly into a person’s vein.
Isotonic solutions: IV fluids with a similar concentration of dissolved particles as blood.
Loading dose: Ordered amount of medication administered at the time of PCA initiation.
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