A vascular access procedure is one of the most common, but also potentially dangerous, procedures carried out by medical staff. Yet even the most experienced professionals can slip up when under pressure. HARTMANN recognizes the challenges and offers practical support.
Does practice really make perfect?
90% of all patients admitted to a hospital receive a peripheral intravenous catheter1. The commonality of the procedure means medical staff are quite familiar with what they are doing. So what can go wrong?
Stress interferes with good routine
While staff may be confident about their routines, external circumstances can undermine their confidence, whether too many patients, too little time or staff shortages. Under stress, they may switch into “auto-pilot” as a way to cope and even under the belief that they are saving time. It’s exactly these little moments of inattention that can lead to an asepsis breach – resulting in serious consequences and ultimately costing more time and creating unneeded stress. It can become a vicious circle.
There are many phases to preparing venous access: hand and body disinfection, putting on protective clothing as well as gathering and preparing infusion materials, including dressing materials. In each phase, an inattentive moment can mean individual components become desterilized or skin is inadequately prepared.
Philippe R., OR nurse
"Most of the time, asepsis breach in peripheral venous catheterisation occurs in the little moments around the technical steps of the procedure."
Considering the stress and time pressure that medical staff are under, it’s good to have SOPs that help you keep on track. A checklist of the exact steps during a venous catheterization are easy for staff to understand and to follow. The adoption of standardized best practices reduce CLABSI rates by more than 50%2.