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Peripheral intravenous catheters (PVCs) are mainstays in hospitalized patients. Bloodstream infections from PVCs are rare, but they can be severe and are preventable adverse events. Whether to replace PVCs routinely or when clinically indicated is an unresolved question.
In this Swiss cohort study of more than 400,000 patients with PVCs in a large university hospital system, researchers found a higher incidence of bloodstream infections after their institution switched from routine replacement (every 96 hours) to clinically indicated replacement (e.g., leakage, malfunction, suspected phlebitis or infection); incidence rates were 0.90 versus 0.13 bloodstream infections per 10,000 catheter-days. After reestablishing a routine replacement strat…