Incidence and type of peripheral intravenous catheter complications documented in hospitalised dogs

Access the article

Simpson, S.E. and Zersen, K.M. (2022) Incidence and type of peripheral intravenous catheter complications documented in hospitalised dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice.  https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13574

Summary

The aim of this prospective, observational study was to report the incidence and type of peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) complications in dogs admitted to either the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) or the Critical Care Unit (CCU) at a veterinary teaching hospital in the United States.

The study was carried out at a  university veterinary hospital and PIVCs were placed by a variety of individuals with different levels of experience. While the results may not be directly applicable to other practice settings, critical appraisal of this paper may provide a good starting point for understanding complications related to PIVCs in your own practice and for carrying out a Clinical Audit.

The February 2023 edition of inFOCUS contains a summary of this paper.

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Further reading

Bush, K. et al. (2020) Peripheral intravenous catheter complications in hospitalized cats: an observational pilot study. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine, 41, p.100456.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcam.2020.100456

Ashby, J. (2017) Peripheral intravenous catheter care in hospitalised cats and dogs. Veterinary Nursing Journal, 32 (2), pp.32-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/17415349.2016.1262322

Clinical audit resources

Clinical audit [RCVS Knowledge] [online]. Available from: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/tools-and-resources/clinical-audit/ [Accessed 6 March 2023]

Peripheral catheter care and phlebitis score [RCVS Knowledge][online]. Available from: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/peripheral-catheter-care-and-phlebitis-score/ [Accessed 6 March 2023]

Peripheral catheter checklist and audit case example [RCVS Knowledge][online]. Available from: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/peripheral-catheter-checklist-and-audit-case-example/ [Accessed 6 March 2023]