Are current clinical guidelines on the use of Peripheral Intravenous Cannula for blood draws supported by evidence? An organizational case study.
Alycia Jacob, Linda Coventry, Hugh Davies and 1 others
PMID 33072358WHAT IT FOUND
Australian policies on drawing blood through peripheral intravenous cannulas vary widely, with some jurisdictions allowing routine use and others prohibiting it.
Only two of seven guidelines were supported by high-quality evidence, leaving nurses without clear, consistent instructions.
Key findings
01Policies on drawing blood from a peripheral intravenous cannula were inconsistent across Australian jurisdictions, with three states allowing routine collection and three prohibiting it.
02The evidence supporting these clinical guidelines was generally weak, as only two of the seven jurisdictions received a high grade for their use of evidence.
03Most jurisdictions mandated replacing the cannula after 72 hours, although one state allowed replacement based on clinical need rather than time.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study only assessed evidence that was explicitly cited in the published policy documents. It could not account for expert opinions or other evidence that policymakers may have used informally but did not reference. The study excluded South Australia because its policies were set by local health networks rather than a single state-wide document, meaning the findings do not represent every Australian jurisdiction.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest, and the project received no external funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the variation in policies as evidence that drawing blood from a cannula is unsafe or ineffective. The study highlights a lack of consistent high-quality evidence to guide these decisions, not a proven harm from the procedure itself.