Objectives: to estimate the incidence of infiltration and the factors associated with its occurrence in children and adolescents in the operative period and with peripheral intravenous catheters.

Methods: a longitudinal and prospective study with children and adolescents using peripheral intravenous catheters, conducted at the surgical clinic unit of a pediatric hospital in Feira de Santana, State of Bahia, from April 2015 to December 2016. The study used Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher’s exact test for the analysis. It also applied multiple analyses using Poisson regression with robust variance.

Results: the incidence of infiltration was 31.2% and was associated with female sex (RR=0.53; CI=[0.30-0.96]), non-eutrophic children (RR=2.27; CI=[1.25-4.20]), who used non-irritating and non-vesicant drugs (RR=1.72; CI=[1.03-2.87]), vesicant drugs (RR=1.84; CI=[1.05-3.22]) and irritating/vesicant electrolytes (RR=2.35; CI=[1.38-3.97]).

Conclusions: the study suggests the development of strategies that will help in the prevention of this adverse event through the knowledge of the associated factors.

Santos LMD, Figueredo IB, Silva CSGE, Catapano UO, Silva BSM, Avelar AFM. Risk factors for infiltration in children and adolescents with peripheral intravenous catheters. Rev Bras Enferm. 2022 Apr 15;75(4):e20210176. English, Portuguese. doi: 10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0176. PMID: 35442303.