[Nursing treatment for patients who have a peripheral catheter which permits blood vessel access installed]

This author reviews a national multicentric epidemiological study having the institutional participation of 10 centers and 250 researchers who, by means of a bibliographical review and critical reading, developed a proposal to improve the quality in each center, using the adaptation and follow up of new agreed upon protocols. This study has received the support from the Spanish Association of Nurse in Emergency and Intense Care Unites (SEEUE) and from the Spanish Association of Intravenous Therapy Teams (ETI). Through more than 8700 treatment records, this study proved that the implementation of strategies to improve the quality of care reduces non-instrumental complications (persistent pain at the entrance point, extravasation or edema, first, second or third degree phlebitis and infection associated with catheters). In our study 381 complications appeared in the 2701 peripheral catheters studied, which represents an incidence level of 14.11%, placing our study below other studies reviewed.