The majority of hospitalized patients can expect to receive an IV catheter during their hospital stay. In fact, peripheral IV placement is the most common invasive procedure performed worldwide. Yet, it is well documented that IV failures and complications remain unacceptably high.¹ Facilities must address these issues to improve patient quality of care. Observation through…
Frequent Dressing Disruptions Vascular access dressing disruptions occur frequently during vascular access device (VAD) maintenance, leading to premature dressing changes. This issue has been examined by multiple studies. According to a study undertaken by Timsit, et al., approximately 67% of central venous catheter (CVC) dressing changes are performed before the planned date.1 This can be…
Are 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…
What is chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)? Chlorhexidine, first described in 1954, is now the standard of care topical broad-spectrum biocide in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections, with bacteriostatic properties at low concentrations, and bactericidal properties at higher concentrations. It exhibits activity against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, some enveloped viruses, and fungi, and demonstrates longer-lasting residual effects…
Adhesive 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…
Guidelines 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…
A 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…
Progress of Surgical Dressing Development The development of advanced surgical dressings has allowed healthcare providers to optimize patient outcomes and procedural efficiency. Much recent innovation has focused on reducing rates of surgical site infection (SSI) due to its seriousness and financial impact. Antimicrobial dressings help minimize such complications and encourage optimal healing during post‐operative wound…
3 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…
S. Matthew Gibson’s webinar “Pitfalls of Catheter Securement: The Dressing (Part 2)” explores different modalities and efficacies of catheter securement, identifies common causes of securement failure, and emphasizes the difference between stabilization and securement. Gibson also reviews the INS best practice recommendations for vascular access device and dressing securement, delving into the benefits of gum mastic…