The idle intravenous catheter.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of idle peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters (those without any therapeutic use) on regular-care medical wards.


METHODS
Observation, interviews, and chart review.


METHODS
A university-affiliated VA medical center.


METHODS
All 959 inpatients on 4 regular-care medical wards during a 6-week period, including 484 IV catheter episodes and 2983 patient-days of IV catheter use.


METHODS
Idle IV catheter use.


RESULTS
Thirty-five percent of all IV catheter episodes (95% CI, 32% to 38%) had 2 or more consecutive idle days. In only 6 of these (1%) could a specific reason for the catheter be determined. Seventeen percent of all patients on regular-care medical wards (CI, 15% to 19%) had an idle IV catheter for 2 or more consecutive days. Twenty percent of all patient-days of IV catheter use were idle (CI, 19% to 21%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that IV are frequently used unnecessarily. Future efforts to reduce IV catheter complication rates should focus on reducing unnecessary use as well as on improving techniques to reduce infection rates when use is appropriate.
Lederle
F A
FA
Department of Medicine, Minneapolis Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, MN 55417.
Parenti
C M
CM
Berskow
L C
LC
Ellingson
K J
KJ
D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008910:Minnesota; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014600:Utilization Review