Pediatric invasive device utility and harm: a multi-site point prevalence survey

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Medical Device Safety
• Hospital-Acquired Complications

Background:

• Invasive devices are essential in healthcare but pose risks, especially to vulnerable pediatric populations.
• This study addresses the critical need to understand invasive device use and associated harms in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence, utility, and complications of invasive devices in Australian pediatric tertiary hospitals.
• To analyze clinical practices related to invasive device management and removal in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• A multi-center, observational, rolling-point-prevalence survey was conducted in 2022-2023.
• Inpatients were randomly sampled, and patients with devices were followed for up to 3 days.
• Data collected included device-related complications, failures, and management characteristics.

Main Results:

• 78.2% of 285 audited pediatric patients had at least one invasive device (412 total devices).
• Vascular access devices (54.1%) and gastrointestinal devices (27.2%) were most common.
• Point prevalence of device complications was 10.7% on Day 0, rising to 27.7% over the audit period, with a 13.4% device failure rate.

Conclusions:

• A high prevalence of invasive devices necessitates vigilant monitoring in pediatric settings.
• One-in-ten devices failed during the audit period, indicating potential for harm.
• Improved strategies are crucial to minimize complications and enhance the safety of invasive devices for children.