Hi,
The hospital where I go has a policy that all ivs have to be changed every 48 to 72 hours. This is to minimise the risk of infection. Apparently the rate of infection of the iv rises substantially after 72 hours, especially if the person is immunocomprimised. These infections are potentially fatal.
There is a trial in progress which is designed to assess the actual infection rate of ivs per hours in situ compared to the standard 48 to 72 hours. I wouldn't fancy being the guinea pig, having the iv in until it becomes infected just to see how long it lasts.
It might be a good idea to ask if the hospital you attend has a policy in place re: dwell time for iv cannulas.
I am glad that you had no bad side effects from having your iv in for 5 days but it is a bit of a worry.
Chirley (I audit infections in hospital as part of my job)