Clinical audit documenting insertion date of peripheral intravenous cannulae

Phlebitis in Intravenous Amiodarone Administration: Incidence and Contributing Factors

BACKGROUND

Intravenous amiodarone is the gold-standard treatment for arrhythmias, but phlebitis is a common adverse effect.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the incidence and contributing factors of amiodarone-induced phlebitis and examine phlebitis severity.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted of articles published before February 2016 in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and gray databases (Bielefeld, Lenus, EUGrey, RIAN, and DART). All studies in which amiodarone-induced phlebitis was a primary or secondary outcome were included. Meta-analysis was not appropriate because of study heterogeneity. Studies of the same contributing factors were analyzed together.

RESULTS

In the 20 included studies, phlebitis incidence ranged from 0% to 85%. Increasing the infusion concentration from 1.2 mg/mL to 1.8 mg/mL increased the phlebitis rate (P < .001). Total amiodarone doses greater than 1 g resulted in higher phlebitis rates than did doses less than 0.45 mg (P < .001). Most infusion durations and rates were not correlated with phlebitis incidence. However, phlebitis incidence was lower with bolus administration than with longer infusions (P = .002). The use of in-line filters and nursing guidelines significantly reduced phlebitis rates (P < .001) and phlebitis severity. The most common phlebitis severity grades, in descending order, were 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding factors that increase the risk of amiodarone-induced phlebitis can guide better practice. In-line filters and nursing guidelines should always be implemented when administering intravenous amiodarone. Increased surveillance is required when higher dosages and concentrations are used.

Modelling catheter-vein biomechanical interactions during an intravenous procedure

A reliable intravenous (IV) access into the upper extremity veins requires the insertion of a temporary short peripheral catheter (SPC). This so common procedure is, however, associated with a risk of developing short peripheral catheter thrombophlebitis (SPCT) which causes distress and potentially prolongs patient hospitalization. We have developed and studied a biomechanical SPC-vein computational model during an IV procedure, and explored the biomechanical effects of repeated IV episodes on onset and reoccurrences of SPCT. The model was used to determine the effects of different insertion techniques as well as inter-patient biological variability on the catheter-vein wall contact pressures and wall deformations. We found that the maximal pressure exerted upon the vein wall was inhomogeneously distributed, and that the bending region was exposed to significantly greater pressures and deformations. The maximal exerted contact pressure on the inner vein's wall was 2938 Pa. The maximal extent of the SPC penetration into the vein wall reached 3.6 μm, which corresponds to approximately 100% of the average height of the inner layer, suggesting local squashing of endothelial cells at the contact site. The modelling describes a potential biomechanical damage pathway that can explain the reoccurrence of SPCT.

Infusion phlebitis assessment measures: a systematic review

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Phlebitis is a common and painful complication of peripheral intravenous cannulation. The aim of this review was to identify the measures used in infusion phlebitis assessment and evaluate evidence regarding their reliability, validity, responsiveness and feasibility.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic literature review of the Cochrane library, Ovid MEDLINE and EBSCO CINAHL until September 2013. All English-language studies (randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort and cross-sectional) that used an infusion phlebitis scale were retrieved and analysed to determine which symptoms were included in each scale and how these were measured. We evaluated studies that reported testing the psychometric properties of phlebitis assessment scales using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines.

RESULTS

Infusion phlebitis was the primary outcome measure in 233 studies. Fifty-three (23%) of these provided no actual definition of phlebitis. Of the 180 studies that reported measuring phlebitis incidence and/or severity, 101 (56%) used a scale and 79 (44%) used a definition alone. We identified 71 different phlebitis assessment scales. Three scales had undergone some psychometric analyses, but no scale had been rigorously tested.

CONCLUSION

Many phlebitis scales exist, but none has been thoroughly validated for use in clinical practice. A lack of consensus on phlebitis measures has likely contributed to disparities in reported phlebitis incidence, precluding meaningful comparison of phlebitis rates.

Safe and correct use of peripheral intravenous devices

BACKGROUND

A peripheral intravenous device (PIVD) provides venous access for the administration of medications, blood products and fluids. They can be associated with a risk of infection and other complications, which have prompted the development of evidence-based guidelines for their use at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). A previous audit performed at the RAH found unsatisfactory compliance with these guidelines across a group of wards. The Burns Unit performed poorly compared with other wards, but the reasons for this were not explored.

METHODS

A repeat audit was performed for all PIVDs in the Burns Unit over a 3-week period and compliance with the PIVD safety guidelines was assessed. Factors influencing compliance were investigated and the evidence behind the guidelines was reviewed.

RESULTS

Overall compliance with the seven safety criteria was 71%. Poorest compliance was for documentation of insertion date, which has implications for scheduling PIVD replacement.

CONCLUSION

The guidelines are largely evidence-based; however, not all of them are feasible for all patients within a hospital. The Burns Unit had an overall compliance rate of 71%. Auditing of individual wards is not effective in assessing those wards' compliance with the guidelines as many PIVDs are inserted in other locations in the hospital. For compliance to improve, other areas of the hospital where PIVDs are inserted need to be targeted.

Managing peripheral venous catheters: an investigation on the efficacy of a strategy for the implementation of evidence-based guidelines

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Until now, the evaluation of the effectiveness of guideline implementation in nursing and allied health professions has received relatively little attention. The aims of this study were (i) to describe the development process of guidelines concerning the management of peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) implemented in an Italian hospital; and (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of guideline dissemination in terms of both clinical outcomes (signs of infection) and process outcomes (measures of appropriateness of PVC management).

METHODS

An observational study was conducted before and after the adoption of a new protocol in the CTO-CRF-Maria Adelaide Hospital. Data from 306 PVCs (153 before and 153 after) were collected. For each PVC, a wide range of outcome measures was collected, including: data on fixation system type of dressing; visibility of the insertion site; registration of the insertion date; duration of catheter insertion; presence of connectors, taps and needles; and signs of infection. The effect of guideline implementation was evaluated using a logistic regression model to adjust for the confounding variable represented by the nurses' average years of working experience.

RESULTS

The risk of using inappropriate dressing was significantly reduced [odds ratio (OR) 0.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.27-0.70], while the use of transparent dressing increased (OR 2.39; 95% CI 1.46-3.89).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows significant improvement in practices relevant to the correct management of PVCs 2 months after guideline implementation. A second survey (after a minimum of 6 months) is necessary to assess persistence of improvement in clinical practices.