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A Prospective Controlled Study

J. Walton Tomford, MD; Charles O. Hershey, MD; Christine E. McLaren, PhD; Dan K. Porter; David I. Cohen, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1984;144(6):1191-1194.

Abstract
• A prospective controlled trial was conducted on four similar inpatient medical wards to test the hypothesis that a trained Intravenous therapy (IVT) team would substantially reduce the incidence of peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter-related complications. We followed 863 IV catheters. The overall incidence of phlebitis in the ward staff—maintained IV catheters was 32% as compared with 15% for those maintained by the IVT team. The incidence of two more serious complications (cellulitis and suppurative phlebitis) was reduced tenfold from 2.1% to 0.2%. We conclude that an IVT team can substantially reduce the iatrogenic complications related to IV catheters.

(Arch Intern Med 1984;144:1191-1194)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Medicine (Drs Tomford, Hershey, and Cohen and Mr Porter) and Biometry (Dr McLaren), Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Dec 13, 1983.

Read in part before the Central Society for Clinical Research, Chicago, Nov 4, 1982.

Reprint requests to Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, 3395 Scranton Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109 (Dr Tomford).

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