Reduction in the incidence of infusion-related phlebitis in a pediatric critical care unit of Eastern India: A quality improvement initiative.

BACKGROUND: Phlebitis is one of the most common complications of the peripheral venous catheter (PVC) and adversely impacts future venous access, and bacterial phlebitis may lead to bloodstream infection. The objective of the study was to reduce the to reduce the incidence of infusion-related phlebitis in children admitted to the pediatric critical care unit.

METHODS: This Quality Initiative was implemented in the pediatric critical care unit of a tertiary care hospital between November 2019 and April 2020. Five interventions were identified (hand hygiene, use of transparent dressing, use of extension lines with PVCs, use of hard cardboard splints for joint immobilization, use of heparinized flush after medication administration) and were introduced sequentially. Over the next five weeks, a new intervention was introduced weekly while continuing the previous ones, if found to be working well as per improvement parameter, the phlebitis rate. From the sixth week onwards, all five interventions were applied together as a bundle.

RESULTS: Total seven hundred eighteen PVCs were sited in 284 (Male: female 1.58:1) patients during study period and a total of 56 incidences of phlebitis were observed. Mean baseline phlebitis rate was 48.5%. In the next 5 weeks when interventions were implemented as planned, phlebitis rate was 35.7% (n = 10), 16.6% (n = 03), 21.6% (n = 8), 10% (n = 05), and 13.3% (n = 2) respectively. Implementation of all five interventions together as a bundle led to reduction in phlebitis rate below 5 % consistently over the next 18 weeks (n = 8).

CONCLUSION: A consistent reduction in PVC-related phlebitis can be achieved by the implementation of evidence-based interventions for the prevention of phlebitis, as a bundle.