Dear Smile E.,
Can you take a bath while your IV antibiotics are running in? I’m currently hospitalized and the nursing staff is unclear on this. I asked yesterday and was told sure, and aloud to get a shower while my IV ran. But today the nurse is adamant that it isn’t safe. I need my baths when I go home on Ivs and we don’t have a shower so I’ll have to bath in the tub. What should I do?
Signed,
Bathing on IVs
Dear Bathing on IVs,
You can most definitely bathe while actively running IVs. However there are a few safety considerations to take into account. First if you have any cardiac issues you should run your questions by your cardiology team for their unique advice based on your unique health picture. They will have all your information so that they can best help you make an informed decision. The other consideration is that you should never submerged your line or your access IV site due to infection potential. Be sure to hold your arm or your access site above the water line. Do not take extremely high temperature baths because this will speed up your blood flow and increase blood pressure and either one or both can increase potential unwanted side effects of the drug that you are infusing. It’s even possible that it could speed up the potential flow of your home iv ball pump in rare instances. For more guidance I encourage you to talk to your care team, including your infusion pharmacist. The best bet when bathing while on IVs is to shower, because you can let free flowing shower water temporarily flow over your IV site as long as you have it sealed with a waterproof tegaderm IV dressing. When in doubt ask your actual care team (doctor’s office.) I hope that you’re feeling better soon, and don’t forget to visit our “ Request a Cheer Package” link on our home page to request yourself a cheer package.
Yours Truly,
Smile E. Turtle
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