title: Navigating venous access: a guide for hospitalists.
abstract: Venous access is the foundation for safe and effective hospital-based care. Inpatient providers must have a deep knowledge of the different types of venous access devices (VADs), their relative indications, contraindications, and appropriateness. However, such knowledge is difficult to come by and usually only gleaned through years of clinical experience. To bridge this gap, we provide an in-depth summary of the relevant anatomical considerations, physical characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of VADs commonly used in the hospital setting. In doing so, we seek to improve the safety and share the science of vascular access with frontline clinicians. To aid decision-making, we conclude by operationalizing the available data through algorithms that outline appropriate vascular access for the hospitalized patient.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simonov
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pittiruti
authors.affiliation: Alliance for Vascular Access Teaching and Research, National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Nursing Interventions, and Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Claire M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rickard
authors.affiliation: Patient Safety Enhancement Program and Center for Clinical Management Research of the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center and the Department of General Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Vineet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chopra
mesh_terms: D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D020445:Hospitalists; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic