Peripheral intravenous catheter failure-is it us or is it them?

Abstract

Intravenous therapy for patients with a range of haematological disorders is an essential component of disease treatment. Although central venous access devices are preferred for irritant or vesicant intravenous therapies, the peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) has an important role, offering a simple, cost-effective way to deliver short-term, peripherally compatible treatments. Unfortunately, this important device is susceptible to failure, with more than half of all PIVCs in hospitalised patients developing complications such as occlusion, infiltration, phlebitis, dislodgement, and infections that result in device removal. 12 Consequently, PIVCs are not reliably doing the task for which they are required. PIVC failure and poor PIVC maintenance practice are a substantial health-care problem. It is often assumed that fixing poor practice will fix failure, 3 but will it? Is the problem poor practice alone, or is it the device itself?