A global study reveals 1 in 5 catheters unnecessarily painful or malfunctioning

A global study has found major problems with the manner in which short peripheral catheters are managed, with two-thirds of catheter insertions found to be placed in non-recommended sites or at risk of failure, and one in five catheters found to be unnecessarily painful or malfunctioning.

The study, led by Western Sydney University, involved hundreds of health professionals who assessed 40,620 peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in 51 countries. The study found that thousands of catheters were placed in non-recommended sites such as the hand, wrist or antecubital veins with many devices reviewed already failing or at risk of failure.

Read the full article here by The Australian Hospital & Healthcare Bulletin.