Infrared Vein Imaging for Insertion of Peripheral Intravenous Catheter for Patients Requiring Isolation for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

The study was small, single-site in China, and not racially diverse, so it may not apply to other settings or populations. Patients were not randomized; the groups came from different wards, so ward, nurse, or patient factors could explain the results. Patients were not stratified by vein level, so differences in vascular difficulty could have affected the outcomes. Patients with level 3 veins, unstable vital signs, unconsciousness, or restlessness were excluded, so the findings do not address the most difficult or unstable accesses. The study did not record the total number of IV attempts per patient. Satisfaction scores may have been influenced by patients' psychological state or care unrelated to the IV procedure. Nurses learned the device quickly under disaster conditions, and intervention fidelity or outcome measurement could have varied between wards.

The study received no specific grant, and the authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that infrared vein imaging improves IV access for all difficult cannulation cases. The groups were not randomized, came from two wards in one hospital, and patients with the hardest veins or unstable vital signs were excluded.