The use and efficacy of extended dwell peripheral intravenous catheters (EPIVs) has been extensively described.
The ramifications of repeated needle sticks include damage to vessels and ultimately the need for more invasive and costly access devices, which clearly support the need for reliable forms of vascular access.
This study describes the result of 128 patients who received an EPIV for 2 or more days, totaling 849 days of therapy.
The conclusion is that reducing the number of patient peripheral intravenous attempts while extending the dwell time results in less patient trauma, reliable longer-term access, reduced infection risk, reduced supply usage, and savings in terms of nursing time. The ultimate result for preterm newborns is more efficient delivery of care with less cost.
Authors: Tara M. Daly, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC, VA-BC™; Constance Girgenti, MSN, RN, VA-BC™
Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (2021) 26 (3): 12–18.
