Phlebitis rate and time kinetics of short peripheral intravenous catheters.
BACKGROUND
An observational prospective cohort study was carried out on complication rates and time kinetics of phlebitis caused by short peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in inpatients on 15 hospital wards in four hospitals in Cologne, Germany.


METHODS
We observed 1,582 patients with 2,495 PIVCs daily using standardized questionnaires. Phlebitis was defined using modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria.


RESULTS
Average phlebitis rates were 27 per 100 patients and 104 per 1,000 catheter days. Median duration of PIVC was 2 days (25 percentile = 2 days; 75 percentile 3 days). Time kinetics (Kaplan-Meier) were linear.


CONCLUSIONS
Linear time kinetics of PIVC phlebitis do not support CDC recommendations for an elective PIVC change after 72 hours, provided daily monitoring of the insertion site occurs.
University Clinic of Cologne, Clinic for Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Medicine and ZDE Quality Management, Lindenthal, D-50924, Cologne, Germany, Frank.Gruene@uni-koeln.de
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Grüne
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Schrappe
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Basten
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Wenchel
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Stützer
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D020878:Device Removal / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors