title: Safety of peripheral intravenous catheters in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the overall and per-day risk of complications of short peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters placed for indefinite periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 5 months, general pediatric patients receiving intravenous therapy through short PIV catheters were monitored. Patient and catheter characteristics were recorded, complications were noted, and rolled semiquantitative cultures of removed catheters were performed. Major endpoints were infection and phlebitis. Per-day risk of complications and catheter colonization (>15 colony-forming units) were calculated.
  
  
  METHODS
  University children's hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  General pediatric ward inpatients with PIV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 642 Teflon catheters in place >24 hours (mean, 3.7 days) in 525 patients. There were no cases of catheter sepsis (0%; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 0%-0.6%), one possible insertion-site infection (0.2%; CI95, 0.004%-0.9%), and seven cases of phlebitis (1.1%; CI95, 0.4%-2.3%). Catheter colonization occurred in 92 (26%) of 348 catheters cultured. Neither the per-day risk of phlebitis nor of catheter colonization increased significantly with placement >3 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current guidelines recommend replacement of PIV catheters in adults within 2 to 3 days; no recommendations are made for children. Our findings and those of others indicate that the overall risk of PIV catheter complications in children is extremely low and would not be reduced substantially by routine catheter replacement.
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Program, University of Chicago Hospital, Illinois 60637-1470, USA.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Shimandle
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stotland
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karrison
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Arnow
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors