title: Peripherally inserted central catheters in children: a survey of practice patterns.
abstract: There is little published information describing standards of practice in the placement, use, and maintenance of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) devices in children. A Web-based survey tool was designed to query these issues, and 72 intravenous therapy nurses from 72 hospitals provided complete responses to the survey. The respondents were predominantly (81%) from healthcare organizations inserting 40 or fewer PICC devices per month. These hospitals were equally divided in using 0.9% sodium chloride (USP) (saline) or heparinized saline flush to maintain patency, whereas 76% used catheters for blood sampling. Flushing and blood sampling practices were not related to catheter occlusion rates. From their survey, the authors conclude that the standards of practice for 3-Fr PICC devices, the most commonly used for children, are quite variable and in need of standardization for this specific population.
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH 45229, USA.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knue
authors.forename: Darcy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doellman
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004868:Equipment Failure; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D006493:Heparin