Review of subcutaneous infusion in palliative care
“Syringe drivers are widely used in palliative care, and this article reviews the challenges and outstanding questions associated with their use” Thomas and Barclay (2015). Reference: Thomas, T. and Barclay, S. (2015) Continuous subcutaneous infusion in palliative care: a review of current practice. International Journal of Palliative Nursing. 21(2), p.60-4. [ctt tweet=”Review of subcutaneous infusion […]
Drug stability when administered by continuous subcutaneous infusions
“…determine the chemical compatibility/stability of alfentanil with other supportive drugs in 8 commonly encountered drug combinations, at minimum and maximum concentrations” Dickman et al (2015). Reference: Dickman, A., Roberts, E., Bickerstaff, M., Jackson, R., Weir, P. and Ellershaw, J. (2015) Chemical compatibility/stability of alfentanil with commonly used supportive drug combinations administered by continuous subcutaneous infusions […]
Optimizing smart infusion pump technology by increasing critical safety alerts
“By revising drug library limits for specific medications, it was possible to decrease the number of less clinically meaningful alerts, reduce alert fatigue, and thereby increase the effectiveness of the smart infusion pumps” Mansfield et al (2015). Reference: Mansfield, J. and Jarrett, S. (2015) Optimizing smart pump technology by increasing critical safety alerts and reducing […]
Effect of a ‘Safe Zone’ on medication errors and patient safety
“This quality improvement initiative adapted a protocol based on airline industry safety measures to decrease nurse distractions and interruptions during medication administration, with the goal of decreasing MAEs Yoder et al (2015). Reference: Yoder, M., Schadewald, D. and Dietrich, K. (2015) The Effect of a Safe Zone on Nurse Interruptions, Distractions, and Medication Administration Errors. […]
Review of neonatal late-onset sepsis following PICC removal
“The objective of the study was to evaluate incidence of and risk factors for sepsis following peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) removal” Hoffman et al (2015). Reference: Hoffman, M.A., Snowden, J.N., Simonsen, K.A., Nenninger, T.M., Lyden, E.R. and Anderson-Berry, A.L. (2015) Neonatal Late-Onset Sepsis Following Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Removal: Association With Antibiotic Use and […]
Review of nurse-led peripherally inserted central catheter placement in Korea
“The purpose of this study was to analyze clinical nurse specialist (CNS)-led PICC placement and to describe its growth in a tertiary hospital” Park and Kim (2015). Reference: Park, J.Y. and Kim, H.L. (2015) A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Nurse Specialist-Led Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Placement in Korea: 4101 Cases in a Tertiary Hospital. Journal […]
Community guidelines on the care of central venous catheters
“This article discusses the multiagency collaborative and resulting guideline and other educational materials that better enable providers, patients, and families to maintain CVC integrity and achieve optimal outcomes” Nailon and Rupp (2015). Reference: Nailon, R. and Rupp, M.E. (2015) A Community Collaborative to Develop Consensus Guidelines to Standardize Out-of-Hospital Maintenance Care of Central Venous Catheters. […]
Transfusion reaction identification and management at the bedside
“Understanding the possible complications of transfusion and how to quickly recognize reactions at the bedside helps ensure the best patient outcomes” Crookston et al (2015). Reference: Crookston, K.P., Koenig, S.C. and Reyes, M.D. (2015) Transfusion Reaction Identification and Management at the Bedside. Journal of Infusion Nursing. 38(2), p.104-113. [ctt tweet=”Transfusion reaction identification and management at […]
Ethanol lock to reduce CLABSI in children
“We aim to describe our experience with prophylactic ethanol locks in a cohort of patients with IF” Mezoff et al (2015). Reference: Mezoff, E.A., Fei, L., Troutt, M., Klotz, K., Kocoshis, S.A. and Cole, C.R. (2015) Ethanol Lock Efficacy and Associated Complications in Children With Intestinal Failure. Journal of Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition. February 23rd. […]
Study of zinc intravenous infusion supplementation in pediatric critical illness
“We sought to determine a safe dose of intravenous (IV) Zn to restore pZn in critically ill children” Cvijanovich et al (2015). Reference: Cvijanovich, N.Z., King, J.C., Flori, H.R., Gildengorin, G., Vinks, A.A. and Wong, H.R. (2015) A Safety and Dose Escalation Study of Intravenous Zinc Supplementation in Pediatric Critical Illness. Journal of Parenteral & […]
Compatibility of cefepime and vancomycin during simulated Y-site administration
“The physical and chemical compatibility of cefepime and vancomycin at concentrations typically used in prolonged-infusion cefepime infusions was assessed” Berti et al (2015). Reference: Berti, A.D., Hutson, P.R., Schulz, L.T., Webb, A.P. and Rose, W.E. (2015) Compatibility of cefepime and vancomycin during simulated Y-site administration of prolonged infusion. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 72(5), p.390-395. […]
Review of transfusion therapy in paediatric trauma patients
“Predefined massive transfusion protocols (MTP) have the potential to significantly reduce mortality by treating haemorrhagic shock and coagulopathy, in adhering to the principles of haemostatic resuscitation with rapid administration of balanced ratios of packed red blood cells (RBC), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets (PLT)” Nystrup et al (2015). Reference: Nystrup, K.B., Stensballe, J., Bøttger, […]
Antibacterial coating prevents biofilms from forming on device surfaces
“Here we describe nonfouling, lubricant-infused slippery polymers as proof-of-concept medical materials that are based on oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane (iPDMS). Planar and tubular geometry silicone substrates can be infused with nontoxic silicone oil to create a stable, extremely slippery interface that exhibits exceptionally low bacterial adhesion and prevents biofilm formation” MacCallum et al (2015). Reference: MacCallum, N., […]
Interaction between amino acids and copper in neonatal parenteral nutrition
“This study aimed to examine the elemental content of precipitates isolated from infused BPN bags and determine the main physicochemical interactions occurring in these bags” Foinard et al (2015). Reference: Foinard, A., Perez, M., Barthélémy, C., Lannoy, D., Flamein, F., Storme, L., Addad, A., Bout, M-A., Décaudin, B. and Odou, P. (2015) In Vitro Assessment […]
Multifaceted infection control program is effective in reducing CLABSI
“A multifaceted infection control program is effective in reducing the CLABSI rate among neonates. Such interventions could be extended to other resource-limited countries” Zhou et al (2015). Reference: Zhou, Q., Lee, S.K., Hu, X-j., Jiang, S-y., Chen, C., Wang, C-q. and Cao, Y. (2015) Successful reduction in central line–associated bloodstream infections in a Chinese neonatal […]
Review of noncompliance with hand hygiene guidelines
“Noncompliance with hand hygiene guidelines remains a collective challenge that requires researchers to adopt a consistent and standardized approach” Smiddy et al (2015). Reference: Smiddy, M.P., O’Connell, R. and Creedon, S.A. (2015) Systematic qualitative literature review of health care workers’ compliance with hand hygiene guidelines. American Journal of Infection Control. 43(3), p.269-274. [ctt tweet=”Review of […]
Potential blood splatter from intravenous catheters with passive safety mechanism
“We report a comparative laboratory study between 2 peripheral intravenous catheters equipped with a passive fully automatic safety mechanism to assess generation of blood droplets during withdrawal” Rosenthal and Hughes (2015). Reference: Rosenthal, V.D. and Hughes, G. (2015) Fluid dispersal from safety cannulas: An in vitro comparative test. American Journal of Infection Control. 43(3), p.305-307. […]
Japanese study of central line–associated bloodstream infections
“The objective of this study was to determine the influences of CVC access sites, CVC types, and presumed causative microorganisms on CLABSI occurrence in an acute care hospital” Matsui et al (2015). Reference: Matsui, Y., Shimatani, M., Kuzuhara, K., Miyazaki, Y., Horiuchi, T., Tajima, Y., Yano, K. and Nagata, T. (2015) Three-year prospective, observational study […]
Cochrane review – Managing vascular access in patients with Ebola virus – plus video
“Dehydration is an important cause of death in patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD). Parenteral fluids are often required in patients with fluid requirements in excess of their oral intake. The peripheral intravenous route is the most commonly used method of parenteral access, but inserting and maintaining an intravenous line can be challenging in the […]
Potential risk of central intravenous lines and ventriculoatrial shunts
“The distal catheter of a ventriculoatrial (VA) cerebrospinal fluid shunt is potentially exposed to bacterial seeding from a subclavian central line” White et al (2015). Reference: White, I.K., Shaikh, K.A., Nyarenchi, O.M., Kundu, M.G., Boaz, J.C. and Fulkerson, D.H. (2015) Analysis of the potential risk of central intravenous lines and/or total parenteral nutrition with ventriculoatrial […]
Needle loss in subclavian vein during central venous catheter placement
“We present a case of needle separation during central venous catheter (CVC) placement in a super morbidly obese patient with subsequent surgical intervention in its retrieval” Botolin et al (2015). Reference: Botolin, D., Mooser, A., Stillions, D., Mortman, K., Sarin, S. and Babrowicz, J. (2015) Needle loss in subclavian vein during central venous catheter placement: […]
Blood donation associated upper-extremity deep venous thrombosis
“There are two upper-extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT) cases after whole blood donation reported in the English medical literature” Newman et al (2015). Reference: Newman, B., Rajpurkar, M., Ozgonenel, B., Lal, A. and Kuriakose, P. (2015) Upper-extremity deep venous thrombosis after whole blood donation: report of three cases from a single blood center. Transfusion. February […]
CLABSI rates in non-ICU patients reviewed
“In patients with CLABSIs outside of the ICU, only 10.6% received dialysis prior to infection. However, underlying hematologic malignancy, neutropenia, and PICC lines were highly prevalent in this population” Rhee et al (2015). Reference: Rhee, Y., Heung, M., Chena, B. and Chenoweth, C.E. (2015) Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Non-ICU Inpatient Wards: A 2-Year Analysis. […]
Peripherally inserted central catheters complicated by vascular erosion in neonates
“…the complication of vascular erosion into the pleural space using both small and silicone-based catheters is rarely described” Blackwood et al (2015). Reference: Blackwood, B.P., Farrow, K.N., Kim, S. and Hunter, C.J. (2015) Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters Complicated by Vascular Erosion in Neonates. JPEN Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. February 19th. [epub ahead of […]
Qualitative study of central line management practices to prevent CLABSI
“Some of the variance associated with CLABSI prevention program outcomes may relate to specific management practices. Adding a management practice bundle may provide critical guidance to physicians, clinical managers, and hospital leaders as they work to prevent healthcare-associated infections” Scheck McAlearney et al (2015). Reference: Scheck McAlearney, A., Hefner, J.L., Robbins, J., Harrison, M.I. and […]
Narrative review of PICC related deep vein thrombosis
“Although common, little is known about factors associated with peripherally inserted central catheter-related deep vein thrombosis (PICC-DVT). To better guide clinicians, we performed a comprehensive literature review to summarize best practices in this condition” Fallouh et al (2015). Reference: Fallouh, N., McGuirk, H.M., Flanders, S.A. and Chopra, V. (2015) Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter-Associated Deep Vein Thrombosis: […]
Radiographic assessment of PICCs in a neonatal intensive care unit
“This article contains a sample of correct and misplaced catheter x-ray often used in a NICU” Fuentealba et al (2014). Reference: Fuentealba, T.I., Retamal, C.A., Ortiz, C.G. and Pérez, R.M. (2014) Radiographic assessment of catheters in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) Revista Chilena de Pediatría. 85(6), p.724-30. [Article in Spanish]. [ctt tweet=”Radiographic assessment of […]
Persistent left superior vena cava discovered accidentally
“In most cases, persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is asymptomatic and discovered accidentally. This case involves a 43-year-old male who underwent an emergency cadaveric liver transplantation” Kim et al (2014). Reference: Kim, H., Kim, J.H. and Lee, H. (2014) Persistent left superior vena cava: diagnosed by bedside echocardiography in a liver transplant patient: a […]
Flushing protocol to maintain peripheral intravenous catheter patency
“A flushing procedure with one flush per day allows maintenance of catheter patency without an increase in catheter-related complications” Schreiber et al (2015).
Achieving zero CLABSI following implementation of central line bundles
“In 2013, we further introduced the central line bundle, including (1) hand hygiene, (2) maximal sterile barriers, (3) chlorhexidine gluconate for skin preparation, and (4) avoidance of femoral vein as an access site” Tang et al (2015). Reference: Tang, H-J., Chao, C-M., Leung, P-O. Lai, C-C. (2015) Achieving “Zero” CLABSI and VAP after Sequential Implementation […]