title: The safety and efficacy of peripheral intravenous catheters in ill neonates.
abstract: This article describes the use of a quality improvement clinical audit approach to identify insertion practices, duration of therapy, and complications related to peripheral intravenous catheters. These data provide evidence for adherence to practice standards and benchmarks for evaluation of new interventions to improve the safety and efficacy of intravenous access practices. Implications for quality improvement and clinical research related to intravenous-device practices within the neonatal intensive care unit are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, England. linda.franck@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Franck
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montgomery
mesh_terms: D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards*; D005119:Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005865:Gestational Age; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000592:standards*; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D009731:Nursing Audit; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012449:Safety; D013997:Time Factors; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration