Novel short peripheral catheter design for prevention of thrombophlebitis

Essentials Phlebitis is one of the most frequent complications related to short peripheral catheters (SPC). A new SPC design, aimed for minimizing mechanical phlebitis, was tested in vivo in swine. MRI analysis revealed 40% less inflammation with the new SPC design compared to commercial SPC. The results confirm that our SPC biomechanical design approach can minimize phlebitis rates. SUMMARY: Background Short peripheral catheters (SPCs) are the most common intravenous device in today's medical practice. Short peripheral catheter thrombophlebitis (SPCT) occurs in up to 80% of hospitalized patients. Symptoms appear on average 3 days after catheter insertion and can lead to extended hospitalization and increased related costs. Here we introduce a novel SPC, named very short peripheral catheter (VSPC), that was designed to minimize biomechanical irritation and improve blood flow. Objective The goal was to test the performance of the novel catheter in vivo for reduction of thrombophlebitis. Methods Very short peripheral catheter prototypes were inserted into swine ear veins (n = 12). Verification of the catheter conformation in situ and blood perfusion was performed using Echo-Doppler. The SPCT development rate was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 4 and 12 days after catheter insertion, and analyzed by means of edema and inflammation intensities. Blind histopathology analysis was performed on the veins postmortem. Clinically available SPC was used as a reference. Results Operation of the VSPC devices did not require any special skills over those used for the clinically available SPC. Echo-Doppler imaging confirmed that in contrast to the traditional SPC, the VSPC avoided contact with the vein wall and allowed better blood perfusion. The MRI analysis revealed 2-fold inflammation and edema rates (~80%) in the veins cannulated with the commercial SPC, whereas rates of only ~40% were seen with the novel VSPC. A similar trend was noticed in the histopathology analysis. Conclusions The results indicate that the novel catheter design significantly reduced SPCT rates and demonstrated proof of concept for our biomechanical approach.