A Brief Intervention by Nurses to Reduce the Prescribing of Occluded Peripheral Venous Catheters in the Emergency Department

Peripheral venous catheters are frequently inserted in hospitals, with approximately 25 million placed annually in France (HAS data, 2005). The occluded peripheral venous catheter with extension tubing has become the standard in some emergency departments, offering advantages such as patient mobility, the ability to perform repeated blood draws, and the administration of intravenous medications. A 2018 meta-analysis revealed that one in three devices was unnecessary. The placement of a occluded peripheral venous is associated with a more painful insertion, higher cost, and an increased risk of infection and thromboembolism, and blood samples obtained via the occluded peripheral venous catheter are more often hemolyzed than those obtained by direct venipuncture.

Communication between physicians and nurses is essential to ensure optimal patient care. A brief intervention by the nurse when a physician prescribes a occluded peripheral venous catheter can help clarify the appropriateness of this prescription, which could lead to reduced pain for the patient, time savings for healthcare providers, and material cost savings for the hospital.