Duration of peripheral intravenous catheter use and development of phlebitis

Background Phlebitis is a common complication in patients with peripheral intravenous catheters, in addition to extravasation and bacterial colonization. Phlebitis may increase morbidity and length of hospitalization. One factor contributing to the rate of phlebitis is the duration of peripheral intravenous catheter use. Several adult studies have shown that the risk of developing phlebitis increased when the peripheral intravenous catheter was used for more than 72 hours. However, in pediatric patients this risk has not been consistently observed. As such, there is no recommendation for routine catheter removal every 72 hours in children. Objective To assess for a possible relationship between duration of peripheral intravenous catheter use and the development of phlebitis. Methods This analytic observational study had a case control design. Subjects consisted of 73 case subjects and 73 control subjects. We collected subjects' data through history-taking and clinical examinations. The duration of peripheral intravenous catheter use was reported in hours. Results From October 2011 to February 2012, 146 children from the Department of Child Health at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and Tangerang Hospital who used peripheral intravenous catheters were enrolled in this study. There was no significant difference between < 72-hour and >= 72-hour duration of peripheral catheter use (OR 1.31; 95%C1 0.687 to 2.526; P=0.407) on the development of phlebitis. Conclusion We observe no relationship between duration of peripheral intravenous catheter use and the development of phlebitis in our subjects.