This study monitors presence and complications of PVCs in a infectious disease (ID) unit of a tertiary care university hospital” Mailhe et al (2020).
Abstract:
The use of peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) is very common in hospital. After a visit to the emergency department, the literature finds that more of 75% of the hospitalized patients carry PVC, among which almost 50% is useless. This study monitors presence and complications of PVCs in a infectious disease (ID) unit of a tertiary care university hospital. During 6 months, 614 patients were included prospectively, among which 509 (82.9%) arrived in the unit with a PVC and 260 (51.1%) were judged unnecessary and removed as soon as the patients were examined by the ID team. More than the half was removed before 24 hours in the unit (308, 60.5%). PVCs were complicated for 65 patients (12.8%). Complications were extravasation, cutaneous necrosis, lymphangitis, veinitis, tearing off the patient, superficial venous thrombosis and arthritis. We have to continue unjustified catheter hunting. Some alternatives to intravenous route must be proposed like subcutaneous infusion or oral antibiotics therapy.
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Reference:
Mailhe, M., Aubry, C., Brouqui, P., Michelet, P., Raoult, D., Parola, P. and Lagier, J.C. (2020) Complications of peripheral venous catheters (PVCs): the need to propose alternative route of administration. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. january 8th. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105875. [Epub ahead of print].