[Phlebitis in children].
The authors' objectives are to determine the occurrence of phlebitis in patients hospitalized in the General Pediatrics Unit and to define the possible factors associated to its development. The authors carried out a prospective study in the "Sant Joan de Deu" Hospital in Barcelona during the month of July and from the 15th of September until the 15th of October in 2002. A one variant and two variant analysis using the chi squared method as the basis for estimating which associations took place. There were 153 patients admitted having 201 peripheral veins canalized; occurrence of phlebitis was 8.4%; a venous cord (53%) was the most frequent clinical sign. In cases of phlebitis, the back of a patient's hands (64.7%) was the main spot to make an insertion using a 22G "Vasocán" catheter (70.6%). Phlebitis appeared 2 days after insertion; the high number of antibiotics administered increased the risk of phlebitis (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Phlebitis is a frequent problem in pediatrics patients having endo-venous treatment, susceptible to prevention by means of the implementation of control measures and a program of continuous vigilance.
Boltá
Magda
M
Unidad de Pediatría General, Programa Control de Infecciones Nosocomiales, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona.
Urreya Ayal
Mireya
M
D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies