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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

A Protocol to Set Up Needle-Free Connector with Positive Displacement on Central Venous Catheter in Intensive Care Unit
09:57

A Protocol to Set Up Needle-Free Connector with Positive Displacement on Central Venous Catheter in Intensive Care Unit

Published on: July 13, 2019

Evaluation of a visual infusion phlebitis scale for determining appropriate discontinuation of peripheral intravenous

Paulette Gallant1, Alyce A Schultz

  • 1Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine, USA.

Journal of Infusion Nursing : the Official Publication of the Infusion Nurses Society
|November 24, 2006
PubMed

Insights

This study assessed peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters, finding many remain phlebitis-free beyond the recommended 96-hour change interval. This suggests current PIV guidelines may be too frequent, impacting patient care and resource use.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Devices
  • Infection Control
  • Nursing Practice

Background:

  • Millions of peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters are inserted annually in the US.
  • A 5% phlebitis incidence is an acceptable benchmark for PIV use.
  • Current guidelines recommend PIV site and administration set changes every 96 hours, but many catheters remain without phlebitis at this time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the indwelling life of PIV catheters.
  • To evaluate the incidence of phlebitis using the Visual Infusion Phlebitis scale.
  • To determine optimal PIV removal timing based on clinical assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Assessment of 850 PIV catheters over their indwelling duration.
  • Utilized the Visual Infusion Phlebitis (VIP) scale for phlebitis assessment.
  • Monitored PIV sites for signs of inflammation and complications.

Main Results:

  • A significant percentage of PIV catheters remained free of phlebitis beyond the 96-hour mark.
  • The study provides data on the actual dwell time of PIV catheters before removal due to phlebitis.
  • Findings indicate potential for extended PIV dwell times in certain clinical situations.

Conclusions:

  • Current PIV catheter change recommendations may be overly conservative.
  • Clinical assessment using validated scales like the VIP scale can guide PIV removal.
  • Optimizing PIV dwell times could improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

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