title: Pediatric medical line safety: the prevalence and severity of medical line entanglements.
abstract: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to describe the prevalence and severity of medical line entanglements among pediatric patients (N = 486). Most patients, with ages from birth to 6 years, had at least 1 medical line (n = 444, 91%), and 294 children (60%) had 2 to 11 medical lines. Observed entanglements included lines around body parts (n = 31), lines under the body (n = 71), and lines tangled with other lines (n = 50). One third of the children were at risk for adverse events due to entanglements, and 1 patient actually experienced real harm.
authors.affiliation: Capital University, Columbus, OH, USA. hjanisze@capital.edu
authors.forename: Heather Janiszewski
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Goodin
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ryan-Wenger
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mullet
mesh_terms: D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D061214:Patient Safety; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment