It is well known that the use of medical adhesives is associated with potential skin damage during a variety of procedural and treatment courses, including vascular access. This skin damage can present as medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI). MARSI prevalence was examined in a study undertaken by Farris, et. al, to determine the scope of…
DetailsAre you struggling with maintaining intact vascular access dressings for up to 7 days as recommended by the Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice? If so, consider the use of gum mastic to enhance dressing adherence!1 In the brief video below, S. Matthew Gibson RN, CRNI, VA-BC, CPUI shows the simple application process of Mastisol® Liquid…
DetailsMaintaining Dressing Integrity to Prevent Infection Maintaining clean, dry, intact dressings over vascular access devices (VADs) is fundamental to site care. The 2021 Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice recommend that transparent dressings be changed at least every 7 days. However, if the dressing is disrupted ‐ meaning loose, wet, or soiled – the standards recommend…
DetailsMechanical Circulatory Support to Manage Heart Failure Heart failure is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality that affects approximately 26 million patients worldwide, with rates continuing to climb.¹ Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is an intervention to manage heart failure, often serving as bridge to transplantation (BTT) by providing acceptable quality of life for patients…
DetailsAdhesive Products are Common in Healthcare Adhesive products are staples of patient care. Inpatients are commonly exposed to a variety of adhesive products throughout their treatment duration. A study by Farris, et. al found that the median number of products per subject was 6.25 for patients in a cardiac‐telemetry unit and 3.0 for patients in…
DetailsGuidelines for Dressing Wear Time and Maintenance Guidelines for vascular access dressings focus on improving both wear time and dressing integrity. Maintaining intact dressings is important for preventing infection and minimizing risk of skin injury. It can also reduce unnecessary dressing changes and help wear time more closely match standard parameters. According to the 2021…
DetailsA Common Procedure with Prevalent Complications Vascular access is the most common inpatient invasive procedure, with more than 300 million peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) sold in the United States each year to meet this demand.¹ Yet, this seemingly routine procedure has a failure rate of 35-50%.¹ Vascular access device failure can result in severe adverse events…
DetailsCOVID Increases Strain on Hospital Systems Negative trends have been strongly projected for the healthcare system during the pandemic—yet, while COVID has posed many new challenges, financial strain is not a new issue for hospitals. All organizations need positive operating margins to survive long-term; this is especially important in the healthcare sector to ensure continuous…
DetailsPeople everywhere are grappling with the way COVID-19 has affected daily life. With limitations on gathering, many schools and companies operating remotely and most medical facilities on a tight lockdown, it can be challenging to find ways to give back to interact with the community. However, as fear and anxiety have spread, so have good…
Details3 Questions with Jo Ann Brooks PhD, RN, FAAN, FCCP 3 Questions With… features some of the finest thought leaders in healthcare specialties such as Infection Prevention, Vascular Access, Surgical Care and more. These experts answer questions on the latest insights, evidence and current practices. For our newest 3 Questions With… vlog, Eloquest Healthcare is proud…
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