A Comparison of Two Commonly Used Methods for Securing Intravenous Cannulas

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Emergency Medicine
• Clinical Techniques

Background:

• Limited objective evidence exists on the efficacy of various intravenous cannula securement methods.
• This study addresses the need for comparative data on commonly used techniques in emergency departments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively compare the security of two prevalent intravenous cannula taping methods.
• To determine which taping technique offers superior fixation and reduces dislodgement risk.

Main Methods:

• Forty volunteers participated in the study.
• Two taping styles, 'under and over' and 'horizontal', were applied to needle-less intravenous cannulas.
• A force transducer measured the peak force required for cannula dislodgement in anterograde and retrograde directions.

Main Results:

• The 'under and over' taping method required significantly greater force for dislodgement than the 'horizontal' method.
• This difference was statistically significant in both anterograde and retrograde force applications (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• The 'under and over' taping technique demonstrates superior security for intravenous cannulas.
• This method is recommended as a more effective approach for securing intravenous cannulas in clinical practice.