Newswise — Peripheral venous access devices (PVADs) are considered safer and easier to manage than central lines, but safer doesn’t mean without risk, and PVADs still require diligence to prevent complications, according to an article in Critical Care Nurse (CCN).

Short peripheral catheters (SPCs) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are the focus of “Complications of Peripheral Venous Access Devices: Prevention, Detection and Recovery Strategies,” published in the journal’s April 2017 issue.

An estimated 80 percent of hospitalized patients in the United States receive an SPC for intravenous therapy during their stay. The use of PICCs is steadily increasing, although they remain less common than other venous access devices. Author Elizabeth A. Mattox, RN, MSN, MS, ACNPC, ACNP-BC, CPPS, is an acute care nurse practitioner in the pulmonary and critical care medicine division at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle.

“PVADs are omnipresent in healthcare, yet many complications of their use are under-recognized,” Mattox said. “The sheer pervasiveness of PVADs demands attention to prevent complications and reduce the potential for harm. Integrating these evidence-based strategies into nursing practice can help improve patient outcomes.”

In the article, she reviews several PVAD-related complications including tourniquet retention, tubing and catheter misconnections, phlebitis, air embolism, embolization of device fragments and inadvertent discharge of patients prior to removal of a PVAD.

For each complication, the article provides nursing-specific strategies for prevention, detection and recovery.

Accompanying sidebars offer additional information specific to SPC-related bloodstream infections and clinical scenarios resulting in air embolism, which are rare but potentially deadly complications. As the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses bimonthly clinical practice journal for high-acuity, progressive and critical care nurses, CCN is a trusted source of information related to the bedside care of critically and acutely ill patients.

Access the article abstract and full-text PDF by visiting the CCN website at http://ccn.aacnjournals.org.

About Critical Care Nurse: Critical Care Nurse (CCN), a bimonthly clinical practice journal published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, provides current, relevant and useful information about the bedside care of critically and acutely ill patients. The award-winning journal also offers columns on traditional and emerging issues across the spectrum of critical care, keeping critical care nurses informed on topics that affect their practice in high-acuity, progressive and critical care settings. CCN enjoys a circulation of more than 107,000 and can be accessed at http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the U.S. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme

Journal Link: Critical Care Nurse, April 2017