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Saturday, October 31, 2009: 3:35 PM
Learning Objective 1: To understand the considerable need to improve knowledge and documentation related to prevention of phlebitis in health care workers taking care of peripheral invasive line .
Learning Objective 2: To obtain baseline data regarding the management of PIVC and to obtain some clinical indicators regarding healthcare practices.
ABSTRACT
The use of intravenous devices is an integral part of patient care in hospitals. Peripheral line assessment is an assessment tool utilized atPerth Hospital in Australia for the measurement of phlebitis rates associated with intravascular devices. There is evidence that intravascular devices increase risk of infection among patients. A clinical audit of all Peripheral Intravenous Cannula (PIVC) was conducted at tertiary care unit of medical ward to obtain baseline data regarding the management of PIVC and to obtain some clinical indicators regarding healthcare practices.
A point prevalence audit was conducted on 30th October, 2008. One infection control nurse along with four unit nurses spent almost three hours each on reviewing the PIVC of all inpatients in medical unit and allocating them a score based on the Peripheral Line Assessment Data Sheet (PLADS) adopted from Perth Hospital, Australia and locally modified. Forty two PIVC were reviewed on the day of the audit. Among them 41 (83.34%) had a PLADS score of 0 and 7 (16.66%) patients had incidence of phlebitis as defined by PLADS assessment tool. Furthermore, lack of documentation at all aspects of the PIVC was consistently present in all observations. Definition of phlebitis was not clearly understood by health care workers (HCW’s). Although the point prevalence results were supportive and notified high incidence rate of phlebitis at medical unit, there is considerable need to improve knowledge and documentation related to prevention of phlebitis in health care workers taking care of these patients.
The use of intravenous devices is an integral part of patient care in hospitals. Peripheral line assessment is an assessment tool utilized at
A point prevalence audit was conducted on 30th October, 2008. One infection control nurse along with four unit nurses spent almost three hours each on reviewing the PIVC of all inpatients in medical unit and allocating them a score based on the Peripheral Line Assessment Data Sheet (PLADS) adopted from Perth Hospital, Australia and locally modified. Forty two PIVC were reviewed on the day of the audit. Among them 41 (83.34%) had a PLADS score of 0 and 7 (16.66%) patients had incidence of phlebitis as defined by PLADS assessment tool. Furthermore, lack of documentation at all aspects of the PIVC was consistently present in all observations. Definition of phlebitis was not clearly understood by health care workers (HCW’s). Although the point prevalence results were supportive and notified high incidence rate of phlebitis at medical unit, there is considerable need to improve knowledge and documentation related to prevention of phlebitis in health care workers taking care of these patients.