Quality improvement project to reduce infiltration and extravasation events in a pediatric hospital

J Pediatr Nurs. 2012 Dec;27(6):682-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2012.01.005. Epub 2012 Feb 16.

Abstract

A safety event response team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center developed and tested improvement strategies to reduce peripheral intravenous (PIV) infiltration and extravasation injuries. Improvement activities included development of the touch-look-compare method for hourly PIV site assessment, staff education and mandatory demonstration of PIV site assessment, and performance monitoring and sharing of compliance results. We observed a significant reduction in the injury rate immediately following implementation of the interventions that corresponded with monitoring compliance in performing hourly assessments on patients with a PIV, but this was not sustained. The team is currently examining other strategies to reduce PIV injuries.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Academic Medical Centers
  • Adolescent
  • Catheterization, Peripheral / adverse effects*
  • Catheterization, Peripheral / methods
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clinical Competence*
  • Education, Professional / methods
  • Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Hospitals, Pediatric
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infusions, Intravenous / adverse effects
  • Male
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / methods
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / nursing
  • Nursing Staff, Hospital / education
  • Patient Care Team / organization & administration*
  • Patient Safety
  • Physical Examination / methods
  • Quality Improvement
  • Risk Assessment
  • United States
  • Wounds and Injuries / etiology
  • Wounds and Injuries / prevention & control