Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Peripheral intravenous catheter problems in hospitalized dogs
By Simpson, S E & Zersen, K M·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2023·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Incidence and type of peripheral intravenous catheter complications documented in hospitalised dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 20% of hospitalized dogs experienced complications from their intravenous catheters, which are used to deliver medications and fluids. The most common issue was phlebitis (inflammation of the vein) in the Critical Care Unit, while line breakage was more frequent in the Intermediate Care Unit. Factors like how long the dog was hospitalized and their weight influenced the likelihood of these complications. It's important for pet owners to be aware that these issues can lead to extra costs and may affect treatment delivery. Improving catheter care techniques could help reduce these problems in the future.
People also search for: dog IV catheter complications · dog phlebitis treatment · why is my dog in the hospital
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report the incidence and type of peripheral intravenous catheter complications in hospitalised dogs. METHODS: A prospective, observational trial was performed. Peripheral intravenous catheters were monitored for complications. Complications were documented and classified as extravasation, phlebitis, dislodgement, occlusion and line breakage. If phlebitis was present, the Visual Infusion Phlebitis Scale was used to assign a grade (0 to 5). Fisher's exact test was used to compare the type of complications between the critical care unit and the intermediate care unit. A univariate logistic model was used to compare the incidence of complications between the critical care unit and the intermediate care unit and adjusted odds ratios were used to compare the groups. RESULTS: The incidence of peripheral intravenous catheter complications was 24.2% in the Critical Care Unit and 13.1% in the Intermediate Care Unit, with an overall incidence of 19.9%. Phlebitis was the most common peripheral intravenous catheter complication in the Critical Care Unit, and line breakage was the most common complication in the Intermediate Care Unit. Length of hospitalisation and weight had a significant effect on the likelihood of complication. In a multivariable logistic regression model, the odds of a peripheral intravenous catheter complication was not significantly higher in CCU than IMCU, accounting for length of hospitalisation and weight (adjusted odds ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.98 to 3.48). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Peripheral intravenous catheter complications are common in hospitalised dogs and may result in an increased expense for owners, failure to deliver prescribed treatments, venous depletion (lack of peripheral vessels for intravenous catheter placement) and pain experienced by the patient. Techniques to reduce peripheral intravenous catheter complications should be further evaluated and may include the use of peripheral intravenous catheter placement and maintenance checklists, use of force-activated separation devices, or patient sedation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36442837/