Why is an IV placed routinely on hospital admission?

[thaibeachlovers]

Had to be admitted twice to local private hospital and my wife a few times. They always stick in an IV before even going to the ward. Never known that to happen in the hospitals I worked at.

They also leave the IV in all the time, while we would put a leur lock in unless it was being used for medication.

There is ZERO need to have a drip routinely, unless for hydration. Why the obsession with them in Thailand?

[stereolab]

It appears to be a Pavlov response to seeing a new patient. My Mother in Law has attended hospitals as an In Patient about 5 times since I arrived, every time an IV line is inserted, and it looks really painful sometimes. They do the same thing with height and weight checks, completely un-necessary in my non medical opinion.

[billphillips]

It's quite simple really It's to stop you running away.

[Issangeorge]

The public hospital I use, only uses an IV when needed, if you need it for drugs etc. they leave the end in, but disconnect the rest, so you can walk around etc.

[Sheryl]

It is not always done, and when it is, it is usually done as a lock.

However, receiving a drip is equated by some Thais with getting good care and some private hospitals, especially mediocre ones that rely on "status" as the draw rather than quality medical care, overuse them for that reason.

[h90]

And you didn't ask for what it is and refuse it, if it doesn't make sense?

I never let someone put something into my body without knowing what and why as long as I am conscious/it is not an emergency....

[h90]

It is not always done, and when it is, it is usually done as a lock.

However, receiving a drip is equated by some Thais with getting good care and some private hospitals, especially mediocre ones that rely on "status" as the draw rather than quality medical care, overuse them for that reason.

And I guess it is also something they can put on the bill....some saline solution 1000 Baht

[SantiSuk]

There is a tendency to do stuff like that, mostly for revenue raising reasons or laziness (pre-ordained responses). Another one is putting you on a nebuliser and oxygen if you check in complaining of a slight chest wheeze.

But to say it happens all the time is way OTT in my experience of several hospitals in Bangkok, Ubon and Chiang Mai.

If you can find a good doctor who specialises in the area of your complaint you are less likely to suffer this practice, which seems to be mostly confined to the general clinic peripatetic doctors in private hospitals. Obviously if you know a bit about what your condition is about and you disagree with a treatment don't be afraid to launch a polite challenge (OK and then an annoyed refusal maybe - it was clearly embarrassing for the ER staff who had been instructed to put me on nebuliser and oxygen and who were ignoring my repeated questions about what and why they were giving me, but they eventually relented and did not charge me for the, by-then-opened, vials)

[Soutpeel]

been in and out of hospitals in Thailand on quite a few occasions over last 14 years and only twice was a drip inserted and both justifiable, once for food poisoning and I was dehydrated and once in prep for surgery

So would question the "routinely" statement

[thaibeachlovers]

been in and out of hospitals in Thailand on quite a few occasions over last 14 years and only twice was a drip inserted and both justifiable, once for food poisoning and I was dehydrated and once in prep for surgery

So would question the "routinely" statement

It's been routine for myself and my wife.

I was waiting in the ER for several hours before being admitted for a ( non urgent ) operation and the first thing they did was put in a drip, which was very annoying. Back in the real world, the drip is put in when receiving the anaesthetic pre op, not 8 hours before.

[thaibeachlovers]

And you didn't ask for what it is and refuse it, if it doesn't make sense?

I never let someone put something into my body without knowing what and why as long as I am conscious/it is not an emergency....

I asked to be admitted to receive IV antibiotics, so it would have been pointless refusing.

Good luck arguing the toss in my local private hospital where no one seems to speak English- even the Dr had a hard time communicating with me. So much for teaching English in Thai schools.

[thaibeachlovers]

It is not always done, and when it is, it is usually done as a lock.

However, receiving a drip is equated by some Thais with getting good care and some private hospitals, especially mediocre ones that rely on "status" as the draw rather than quality medical care, overuse them for that reason.

The staff I have met seem not to know what a "lock" is. They also didn't do a single ( insertion ) site check on the drip in the 4 days it was in. The nurse that put it in put it in the worst possible place as well, right on my wrist joint, but as they don't speak any English too hard to argue about it. Just suffered for 4 days.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[h90]

been in and out of hospitals in Thailand on quite a few occasions over last 14 years and only twice was a drip inserted and both justifiable, once for food poisoning and I was dehydrated and once in prep for surgery

So would question the "routinely" statement

It's been routine for myself and my wife.

I was waiting in the ER for several hours before being admitted for a ( non urgent ) operation and the first thing they did was put in a drip, which was very annoying. Back in the real world, the drip is put in when receiving the anaesthetic pre op, not 8 hours before.

and what was it?

[thaibeachlovers]

been in and out of hospitals in Thailand on quite a few occasions over last 14 years and only twice was a drip inserted and both justifiable, once for food poisoning and I was dehydrated and once in prep for surgery

So would question the "routinely" statement

It's been routine for myself and my wife.

I was waiting in the ER for several hours before being admitted for a ( non urgent ) operation and the first thing they did was put in a drip, which was very annoying. Back in the real world, the drip is put in when receiving the anaesthetic pre op, not 8 hours before.

and what was it?

What was what?

[h90]

And you didn't ask for what it is and refuse it, if it doesn't make sense?

I never let someone put something into my body without knowing what and why as long as I am conscious/it is not an emergency....

I asked to be admitted to receive IV antibiotics, so it would have been pointless refusing.

Good luck arguing the toss in my local private hospital where no one seems to speak English- even the Dr had a hard time communicating with me. So much for teaching English in Thai schools.

If I see a Doctor or even worse a specialized Doc. who doesn't speak English, than I run as fast as I can......

Till now every doc and in the most outside place spoke good English......How could you study medicine and read publications if you aren't fluent in English, no matter if it is Thailand or Germany or Nigeria?

And a good practice for a medical treatment which I absolute demand if I pay private and it isn't an emergency is that I get every step explained, before and when it happens.

Actually I always got that without asking for it in Thailand (In Farangistan with the free healthcare the service was worse 25 years ago, but improved a lot with the new generation.

[umbanda]

Happens with me at a private hospital..for no reason at all..and I didn't refused just because I do not speak Thai.

I was worry about possible infections, etc, specially after the nurse droping the seringe on the floor during the procedure.

Later I got really upset, when I saw what the hospital charged for that "medication".....

By the way...Just few days after.....the Government announced that was targeting that hospital chain for overcharging farangs...

[2nice]

Placebo?

[h90]

Placebo?

and profit

[rodknock]

was in hospital for sinus infection, had iv anti biotics for 30 days with lock changed every 4 days,Sucked.

when went in to hospital for dvt 2 lines inserted, was told just in case needed.

[Sheryl]

Inserting an IV for the purpose of IV meds, or as an emergency precaution so that there is immediate IV access if needed (important with a DVT) is perfectly legitimate. But in both situations it should be a lock, except when being used to administer medication.

Pre-op I can understand the drip because one is fasting at that time and Thais have an exaggerated concern for becoming weak/faint if not eating and tend to believe it is necessary to give a drip to keep up the blood sugar. In fact, in telling the patient they cannot take anyhting by mouth Thai nurses will usually be at pains to reassure that they will be OK because they will be getting glucose through the IV. Possibly this has to do with the Thai diet, involving as it does a lot of processed carbohydrate (white rice, noodles) taken in small amounts with great frequency during the day -- people who eat like this will indeed get light headed if they skip a meal.

Most hospitals do not in fact give IV drips to all patients. I or a family member have been a patient at one time or another in virtually all of the major private hospitals in Bangkok and not a single one did this.

Again, I would question the overall quality of care at a hospital that does this. As to reasons: impressing the patient/meeting patient demand (many Thais equate IVs with powerful treatment) , giving the appearance of "doing something" (in cases where basically they aren't) and of course, profit underlies both of these concerns.