IV bag frozen?

[rescue99]

I put an IV bag on the defroster at the front windshield anyhow, per PHTLS guidelines of giving warmed fluids.

Yep...works fairly well. I've also hung em in front of the rear heater fan just above the jump seat.

 

[Medic744]

We just hook our trucks up to the shore lines which keep the generator juiced to control temp in the back of the truck. For our meds that have to be cold we have a plug in cooler and heating pads to warm up the fluids a tad more in the really cold days. Its not nice in general to give chilly fluids to anyone, except maybe fevers and hyperthermia. If you have ever been on the receiving end of a chilled IV it makes you COLD and really really really have to pee faster than the warm fluid would.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I guess I'm just spoiled. The medic unit I currently ride has both fluid warmers and blanket warmers. (If you like to look at ambulances, you can see it here) It's pretty nice to not have to worry about warming fluid.

 

[Aidey]

I hope people are throwing away these bags that get too cold and aren't warming them up and using them. Even after thawing there can be large crystals of salt suspended in the fluid, which is not so great for your patient.

 

[usalsfyre]

Any drug that has been stored in conditions outside of the recomendation in it's package insert is considered adulturated by the FDA. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[wolfwyndd]

We have two medics. The newest one has a little heater in the drawer where we keep the IV fluids and it keeps the fluid CLOSE to body temp. To keep the fluids warm in the 'old' medic we installed heaters in the bay so the entire bay hovers around 65 or so. Once we roll the heat in the back of the medic (generally) warms it up for the patient.

 

[RESQ_5_1]

Interesting that I found this today. Just came on this morning for a 4-day tour. First call 45 minutes in to the day was for a Hypothermic pt. Response time was around 45 minutes and then another 40-45 minute transport. Pt was found wearing t-shirt, jeans and hiking boots. Temperatures here were around -20C overnight(to convert, mutiply C x 1.8 and add 32).

We have an IV fluid warmer, but it doesn't heat the fluids by much. And, our protocols state to use fluids at or near body temperature. His initial temp was 33.8C Tympanic. It peaked at 35.2C Tympanic and then started to decrease again.

In the prehospital setting, there isn't very much you can do for a severely Hypothermic pt. We didn't get much of a temperature change even with warmed IV fluids, 3 blankets (cotton), and the heater cranked to 83F.

 

[rmellish]

If the unit is parked in a cold environment then it's running with the pt compartment heater on. Our inside bays are heated obviously.