Background:

Phlebitis is one of the most frequent complications in peripheral venous catheters. The aim was to compare the frequency of phlebitis before and after the implementation of the Flebitis Zero project, in order to ascertain its effectiveness and what factors were associated with this complication.

Methods:

Randomized pre-post intervention (Flebitis Zero project) study performed in the Hospital Universitario de Navarra (Pamplona, Spain) between 2015 and 2019. The intervention consisted of training of professionals along with the implementation of measures in order to lower the incidence of complications associated with the peripheral venous catheters. The control group (CG) was selected prior the intervention and the Intervention Group (IG) in the subsequent five years.

Results:

The study included 656 patients, 96 (14.6%) in the CG and 569 in the IG. Lower frequency of complications (49.0 vs 37.1%; p<0.001), especially accidental PVC exit (18.8 vs 8.1%), and of phlebitis (13.5 vs 11.8%). The intervention and the use of fully reinforced dressings were associated to happening of phlebitis. The implantation of the Flebitis Zero project prevented the occurrence of phlebitis (OR = 0.78; IC95%: 0.42-0.86; p = 0.042).

Conclusion:

The implementation of the measures used in the Phlebitis Zero project was associated with a significant reduction of the complications linked to the use of the peripheral venous catheters; the frequency of phlebitis dropped, although nowhere near the recommended level.