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Current CDC recommendations call for changing peripheral intravenous catheters after three days, to avoid infectious complications. These authors undertook a prospective nonrandomized study of catheter-related complications to determine whether this practice is still warranted, based on clinical outcomes.
Complication outcomes were phlebitis, catheter tip infection, and obstruction. A total of 609 consecutively placed catheters left in place for 1 to 28 days in 451 patients were studied. Catheters were placed by nonstudy physicians and nurses using standard cleansing and dressing protocols. Clinical complications occurred in 25.6% of catheterizations, 77% due to phlebitis and 23% to obstruction. Semiquantitative cultures of removed catheters…