Long Peripheral Catheters first-line device for for Multiday IV Therapy in kids: Study

Establishment of functioning peripheral intravenous (IV) access is a vital step to provide care in the emergency and inpatient settings. A recent study suggests that Long Peripheral Catheters (LPCs) reduces catheter failure and total catheters in children and recommend the use of LPCs as the first-line device for peripheral access. The study findings were published in the journal PEDIATRICS on January 14, 2021.

Patients with a medical history of obesity, IV drug abuse (IVDA), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and/or sickle cell disease have been shown to have Difficult Vascular Access (DVA) using the traditional technique. Once cannulated, the survival time of IV catheters is problematic, with early failure a common complication. In children, intravenous therapy (IVT) is generally administered via peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) (2–6 cm in length). However, a previous study suggests that PIVCs are unreliable after 2 days. Long peripheral catheters (LPCs) (6–15 cm in length) could improve the delivery of IVT, but the data available are limited. Therefore, researchers of Melbourne, Australia, conducted a study to determine if LPCs could decrease catheter failure and the number of catheters in children receiving multiday IVT.