Evaluation of saline for i.v. locks in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Intravenous Therapy
• Clinical Practice Evaluation

Background:

• Peripheral intravenous (IV) lines are crucial for administering medication and fluids to pediatric patients.
• Maintaining IV patency is essential to prevent complications and ensure effective treatment.
• Historically, various solutions have been used for IV maintenance, with ongoing evaluation of their efficacy and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of saline for maintaining peripheral IV patency in children over 28 days of age.
• To compare the duration and complication rates of peripheral IVs maintained with saline versus previous practices.
• To support evidence-based practice changes in pediatric IV care.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a large teaching hospital involving 126 pediatric patients (over 28 days old) with peripheral IVs.
• Group I (n=68) received saline flushes as part of an experimental evaluation.
• Group II (n=58) received saline flushes following a hospital-wide practice change.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found in the mean duration of IVs between the experimental group (35.38 hours from first flush) and the practice change group (44.09 hours from first flush).
• Mean time from insertion to discontinuation also showed no significant difference (60.86 hours for Group I vs. 60.03 hours for Group II).
• Patient demographics, IV site characteristics, and complication rates did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Conclusions:

• Saline is an efficacious solution for maintaining the patency of peripheral IVs in pediatric patients over 28 days of age.
• The practice change to saline for IV maintenance is supported by clinical evaluation, showing comparable outcomes to previous methods.
• Findings align with previous research, reinforcing saline's role in pediatric IV therapy.