Quality of care in peripheral venous catheterization: A scoping review.
Saulo Pereira da Costa, Rodrigo Euripedes da Silveira, Damiana Aparecida Trindade Monteiro and 2 others
PMID 38055472WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses have few tools to assess quality of care for adult peripheral venous catheters.
Insertion site checks, dressing choice, documentation and clinical indication are key themes, but evidence for specific devices and tools is mixed.
Key findings
01Only 15 studies met the review's question, and 13 were from Australia.
02A meta-analysis included in the review reported phlebitis at 23.8% and infiltration at 13.7%.
03Transparent dressings reduced catheter dislodgement compared with gauze, but the review said no fixation device was clearly better.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Most included studies came from Australia, so the tools may not fit other health systems. The review found few instruments that assess overall quality of peripheral IV catheter care. Some included reviews reported high risk of bias or limited evidence. The included studies were not all designed to test patient outcomes, so they cannot show which device or tool is best. The review mapped evidence instead of testing a new intervention, so it cannot prove that a tool improves care.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that a particular dressing, tool or replacement policy improves patient outcomes. The review maps what has been studied, and the included evidence is mixed: transparent dressings reduced dislodgement, but no fixation device was clearly better, and replacement strategy effects differed by outcome.