A patient with suspected DVT is receiving heparin; which finding most strongly indicates that the heparin therapy is not therapeutic?

A patient with suspected DVT is receiving heparin; which finding most strongly indicates that the heparin therapy is not therapeutic?

• A. Sudden difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
• B. The IV site where heparin is infused has infiltrated.
• C. The left calf is swollen, red, and painful.
• D. The client reports no chest pain and stable vitals.

Answer: (B)

When heparin is given, it must reach the bloodstream to provide anticoagulation. If the IV site has infiltrated, the drug isn’t being delivered systemically, so the patient isn’t getting the therapeutic effect. That makes clot prevention and treatment ineffective, raising the risk that the DVT progresses or a new thrombus forms. Sudden difficulty breathing could signal a pulmonary embolism or other acute change, but it isn’t a direct measure of whether the heparin is actually reaching circulation. A swollen, red, painful calf indicates ongoing DVT symptoms, which could happen even if IV delivery is temporarily adequate or could reflect progression for other reasons. Stable vitals and absence of chest pain suggest current stability but don’t prove the anticoagulant effect is achieved. The IV site infiltrated finding most clearly indicates the therapy isn’t being delivered to the patient.

When heparin is given, it must reach the bloodstream to provide anticoagulation. If the IV site has infiltrated, the drug isn’t being delivered systemically, so the patient isn’t getting the therapeutic effect. That makes clot prevention and treatment ineffective, raising the risk that the DVT progresses or a new thrombus forms.

Sudden difficulty breathing could signal a pulmonary embolism or other acute change, but it isn’t a direct measure of whether the heparin is actually reaching circulation. A swollen, red, painful calf indicates ongoing DVT symptoms, which could happen even if IV delivery is temporarily adequate or could reflect progression for other reasons. Stable vitals and absence of chest pain suggest current stability but don’t prove the anticoagulant effect is achieved. The IV site infiltrated finding most clearly indicates the therapy isn’t being delivered to the patient.