The following information is designed to assist you, the person with difficult IV access (DIVA) to help you understand how common DIVA is and explain how it may affect you so that you can talk to your doctor or nurse about this next time you need an IV drip (also called catheter or cannula).
DIVA Resources for Consumers
Difficulty in accessing veins, or having Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA), is a problem experienced by one third of people who present to the emergency department and approximately half of the patients admitted to a hospital. Our researchers have interviewed patients with DIVA about their experiences receiving an IV drip. Patients reported the experience of requiring an IV drip as ‘horrendous’ and many painful attempts was ‘common.’ Patients also reported poor acknowledgement by staff when they tried to explain that they had difficult veins. They have asked for the most experienced clinician, hoping that a first attempt might be successful. Sourcing a more experienced clinician was also reported as being difficult, delaying any planned treatment.
To assist consumers like you to have a voice, we have developed a card for people with DIVA to show health care professionals when they need an IV drip. Hopefully this card will help you tell the staff about your previous experiences and that someone who is experienced with difficult IV access and technology like ultrasound might be needed.
We have developed a DIVA card (below) you can print out that may help you to explain your experience with difficult veins to the doctor or nurse who is inserting your IV drip.
This card is available for download in three other languages to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from this resource.
If you would like to read more about the research into patient experiences with DIVA the article is here.
