A Primer and Literature Review on Internal and External Retention Mechanisms for Catheter Fixation

Although catheters are commonplace in hospital settings, there is scarce literature discussing the internal and external retention mechanisms used to aid in catheter fixation. Additionally, exact definitions and detailed information on internal and external retention mechanisms are almost non-existent in the literature. This article serves three primary purposes. The first purpose is to define internal and external catheter retention mechanisms, describe how they work, and provide examples of each that are routinely used in healthcare settings. The second goal of this paper is to provide a literature review comparing various aspects of the different types of internal and external catheter retention mechanisms discussed in the paper, including performance variance and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The third aim of this article is to provide a brief overview of catheter dislodgment, including the rates at which this occurs, the problems that can arise, and the best treatment option when this does occur.