The use of venous catheters of average line in hospitalized patient

Abstract

In the current context in which numerous alternatives have emerged in intravenous therapy, studies are needed on the different devices available to determine which is the most suitable system in each case. The midlines arise as an alternative to the use of peripheral venous catheters and central peripheral insertion catheters. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the use of midline catheters in hospitalized patients. Method: Retrospective study of 1016 patients. We analyzed variables related to the mean time of catheter use, the incidence rate for each of the complications, the number of catheters removed and their causes. Results: 46.5% of the catheters were inserted in men (472). The average age was 65 years (SD 16.8), being the youngest of 14 and the oldest of 101 years. 40% of the catheters were channeled due to poor venous access of the patient (406), 42% for long intravenous treatment (427) and 18% for irritant treatment (183). Regarding the effectiveness of the catheters, the average time of use was 12.1 days (SD 9.4). The treatment was terminated by 854 patients, 704 (69.3%) by the end of treatment and 150 (14.8%) by death. 7.4% of patients presented complications (75). 4.4% (45) were removed due to malfunction of the catheter, 1% due to patient complications (10). 2% of the catheters were removed due to fever (20). Conclusions: The middle line catheter is a venous access device with a low complication rate, it has a average residence time of around 12 days. It is an alternative to short peripheral catheters in patients with poor vein access and offers an alternative to frequent rotations in patients with antibiotic treatments longer than 7 days.