2 Billion Peripheral IV Catheters – and Most Of Them Fail!
Globally, 2 billion peripheral IV catheters (PIVCs) are placed each year. Most patients admitted to hospital for treatment require one. Surprisingly, 50% or more[1-4] have their PIVC removed because it stops working (becomes dislodged or occluded) or because of a complication, such as infiltration, phlebitis or infection. This leads to substantial waste, discomfort, cost, and harm. Despite how common this simple but important procedure is, and how unsatisfactory the outcomes are, the problem of premature PIVC failure is little studied. There [...]