Peripheral i.v. cannula dressings: advantages and disadvantages

There are many peripheral intravenous cannula dressings being used throughout the country. This article is a review of these dressings and looks at those used in the authors' trust as well as other products on the market. The article gives an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the different dressings, including costs, that allow medical and nursing staff to make an informed choice about the type of dressing they use. The authors felt, given all the evidence, the traditional method of using gauze, tape or mefix was no longer acceptable practice.