Flow increases with an enlarging intravenous catheter
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1Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.
Study Objective:
To determine the increase in flow of a hydratable enlarging intravenous (IV) catheter in anesthetized patients.
Design:
A randomized, nonblinded study, with standard Teflon IV catheters used as controls.
Setting:
Operating room at a university medical center.
Patients:
Thiry adult patients receiving general anesthesia for lower extremity surgery.
Interventions:
An IV catheter was placed in the upper extremity, and flow measurements were made by measuring the time for infusion of 250 ml of normal saline within 1 minute after placement and at 1 hour after placement.
Measurements And Main Results:
The enlarging catheters had a statistically significant average flow increase of 26% after 1 hour indwelling time. The standard Teflon catheters had no statistically significant change in flow after 1 hour. The percentage increase in flow for the enlarging catheters was not as great as previously seen in vitro.
Conclusions:
Flow through enlarging IV catheters placed in anesthetized patients increases after 1 hour. The percentage increase in flow is not as great as previously seen in vitro and may be due to skin, vein, and subcutaneous tissues preventing complete expansion.