NICE criticise the NHS for the poor use of IV drips

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have said hospital patients' lives are being put at risk by NHS staff's poor attention to intravenous drip care. 

Data gathered by the National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths (NCEPOD) suggests as many as one in five patients on intravenous (IV) fluids have complications or die because of inappropriate administration. 

The risks arise, either due to lack of training about the correct levels of fluid needed or because staff are overstretched and cannot give patients the care they need. NICE are now launching draft guidelines to remedy this. 

The new guidelines on fluid management address the concerns that have been highlighted in reports made by the NCEPOD over the past 10 years. They are a welcome move that will support healthcare staff provide good quality care to patients in need of IV fluids. 

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Source: BBC News

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