Blood culture media backing into someones IV?

[mrsboston3122]

I am not sure that anyone will have an answer for me. I have been researching for 2 days now with no luck on the subject. I went to the ER 2am yesterday morning and the doctor ordered blood cultures for me. The tech came in, placed an iv and started with the first blood culture bottle which was fine but when he went for the second blood culture bottle I got a funny taste in my mouth and flush feeling throughout my body and then my veins felt as though they were on fire. The first feeling I got before the fire veins felt like normal dose of medication through an IV though it tasted really nasty! I have had hundreds of ivs and blood drawn through them with no problem. Never had something like this happen before. I am not sure if the bottle malfunctioned and had positive pressure verses negative or if it was because the guy was holding the bottle up and the top was inverted (point of entry). It was horrible. Normally I have gotten blood drawn for a culture through a syringe and then they use that to fill the bottle. I have never had a blood culture bottle connected to my IV before. Anyway I told the guy something was not right that it felt like something went in and to please stop which he didnt. When he was done he went and got someone else who came into the room and was flat out rude to me telling me that I was just anxious about the IV (not) and that it is impossible for this to happen because they use vacucanister system. All the research I have done say yes it is possible for the bottle to malfunction or even the tech makes a mistake and the media can reflux into the persons iv entering the blood stream and it has all the info on how to avoid that from happening but it does not say what will happen if it does it happen, what the consequence is. I have not been feeling well since this happened and I will admit I am a bit nervous. The hospital refuses to speak with me and I have no insurance to see a doctor. I went to the ER for stomach pain and found that I was just constipated. Does anyone have any information on this? If so please help me? Has this ever happened to any one of you? What is the consequences? Can this harm me?

[mrsboston3122]

Follow up, since this has happened I have had 4 infections, one right after another and 2 at the same time.. Tooth, sinus, respiratory and throat! I dont know but since this happened to me I have just not been feeling right! I know the stuff in the bottle is sterile or should be anyway it does promote bacteria to grow and maybe thats what is happening to me. While doing research I have found that this has actually happened to a lot of people and some of them got very sick because the media in the bottle was contaminated!  I am just fed up now to be honest. I have enough health problems and now its like a steady stream of them and I feel as though my body is failing or something!

[mrsboston3122]

Hi and thank you for the answer. I had no IV drip and no medication was given to me through the IV or otherwise. They placed the IV just in case so if need be they would not have to stick me again, I have really hard veins. Anyway he had just placed the IV and then started drawing. The first blood culture bottle fine no problem. IT was the second blood culture bottle that was the problem.

Thanks

[caregiver222]

Let me provide another scenario. In many hospitals it is prohibited for the IV line to be used for blood draws. I used to use the same site because if we were using the medial antecubital, it is only good for so many punctures within a certain period of time, and if you are careful there can be no harm. In a long term hospital stay, in a patient with poor veings, you may run out if veins and require a cut-down.  The problem comes when you finish the blood draw. The blood has to be flushed from the line with normal saline. I would use a sterile syringe prepared for this purpose. If, however an IV bag is already in place containing medication that is only to be infused at a rate of 8 drops per minute, and that line is opened to flush the blood from the line, you suddenly may have too high a concentration for the veins, Certain medications will act to damage the inside of the veins causing the burning sensation you describe. The problem is compounded when the solution in the bag is concentrated. The practicioner has the option of several concentrations of medication, the difference being in the drip rate selected. During the flushing a damaging concentration of medication may have been infused. There is malpractice involved, so that is why they have circled the wagons. That being said, the damage will, most likely, eventually heal. This is not the first time this has happened.