How Often Do We Place Intravenous Catheters We Don't Use?

Peripheral intravenous catheters are painful, are time-consuming to insert, and can cause infections ranging from phlebitis to staphylococcal bloodstream infections and sepsis. Investigators determined the proportion of IV catheters placed in a large urban Australian emergency department (ED) that were never used to infuse fluids or medications.

The researchers reviewed the electronic medical records for 3829 ED visits by adults. An IV catheter was placed at 570 of these visits, and was not used to infuse fluids or medication in 284 (50%). Use of IV catheters for phlebotomy was not assessed.