title: Eliminating Extravasation Events: A Multidisciplinary Approach.
abstract: Administration of chemotherapy agents can give rise to many safety issues. Extravasation of a vesicant agent causes tissue blistering and necrosis. This complication of chemotherapy administration causes additional pain and suffering in patients who are already suffering with a diagnosis of cancer. Nurses hold key responsibilities for educating patients about administration issues and following practice standards to minimize the risk of extravasation. Defining a path of shared responsibilities among team members is a critical step in assuring the safe administration of drugs classified as vesicants. This article describes a clinical practice change that is used at a large midwestern academic medical cancer center. This practice and policy change has resulted in a 90% reduction in the administration of vesicant agents peripherally, with no occurrence of extravasations in the first 6 months of implementation.
authors.affiliation: Froedtert Lutheran Memorial Hospital Clinical Cancer Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Griffie
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Czaplewski
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000379:methods; D005119:Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000592:standards; D010353:Patient Education as Topic
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents