Vascular access management
Every vascular access patient's journey is unique and full of variables:
Discover more about the BD Vascular Access Management program
Intravenous therapy is so common that it may be easy to forget there is potential for harm. Complications may arise when placing a vascular access device, ranging from infectious and thrombolitic, to mechanical and more. These complications are a major cause of vascular access device premature failure. By better understanding the potential for risk, you can be better prepared to protect patients from IV complications.
Learn more about some of the vascular access-related complications that can occur >>
BD can help assess VAM practices and potential areas for improvement in your facility >>
A catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI) is when the catheter is identified as the source of the infection.2* Signs and symptoms to look for include erythema; edema; any pain or tenderness or drainage and/or fever.2** There are extraluminal and intraluminal areas that could be potential spots for contamination, leading to CR-BSIs from risk of breaking asepsis during insertion or care and maintenance; seeding bacteria from another site of infection; and ingress of bacteria due to non-intact dressing or suboptimal insertion site.3*
Learn more about some of the vascular access-related complications that can occur >>
BD can help assess VAM practices and potential areas for improvement in your facility >>
2*. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S204.
2**. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S154.
3*. Safdar N, Maki DG. Int Care Med. 2004; 30(1): 65.
When a catheter is blocked, this can either prevent infusion or injection of solution into a catheter, aspirate blood from a catheter, or both.2* Signs and symptoms to look out for include sluggish flow and/or blood return, inability to withdraw blood, flush and/or infuse through the catheter, frequent occlusion alarms on an electronic infusion device, and infiltration or extravasation or swelling and/or leaking at the infusion site.2** Occlusions may be caused by multiple factors, including allowing an infusion to run dry, improper flushing, infusing incompatible medications, or employing an improper clamping sequence.2**
Learn more about some of the vascular access-related complications that can occur >>
BD can help assess VAM practices and potential areas for improvement in your facility >>
2*. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S210.
2**. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S150.
Catheter movement into or out of the insertion site indicating tip movement to a suboptimal position.2* Signs and symptoms include the inability to continue infusion, increased external catheter length since previous assessment and leakage at insertion site. Additionally, if the catheter moves out of the vein but not the skin, it can result in edema, pain, changes in skin color and even progress to blistering and ulceration.2** Risk factors to consider include poor site selection, loosening of the catheter due to inadequate stabilization and lack of proper securement, as well as patient manipulation such as arm or body movement.2†
Learn more about some of the vascular access-related complications that can occur >>
BD can help assess VAM practices and potential areas for improvement in your facility >>
2*. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S204.
2**. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S143.
2†. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S165.
Inflammation of a vein2* could be evident by pain and tenderness, erythema, warmth, swelling and redness at the catheter site.2** There are multiple chemical, mechanical and bacterial issues that could be the cause. These include use of irritating solutions, not allowing skin antisepsis to dry, inadequate hemodilution, improper catheter size or stabilization techniques, breaks in aseptic technique or non-occlusive dressing.2**
Learn more about some of the vascular access-related complications that can occur >>
BD can help assess VAM practices and potential areas for improvement in your facility >>
2*. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S211.
2**. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S138.
Infiltration occurs when a nonvesicant solution or medication is inadvertently administered into tissue surrounding the catheter site, whereas extravasation occurs when the solution or medication is vesicant.2* When this occurs, the patient may suffer from edema, pain, changes in skin color and fluid leakage from the catheter insertion site, additionally extravasation may progress to blistering and ulceration.2** A myriad of issues may cause infiltration or extravasation, including inappropriate insertion site, inadequate stabilization, difficult access history, medications that alter pain sensation, disease that produces change in vasculature, use of deep veins with insufficient catheter length, and the inability of the patient to report their symptoms.2†
Learn more about some of the vascular access-related complications that can occur >>
BD can help assess VAM practices and potential areas for improvement in your facility >>
2*. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S206, S207.
2**. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S143.
2†. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S142.
Calculate the potential costs of complications
On average, Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections (CR-BSIs) cost €11,219 per patient occurrence4*
Calculate the cost of CR-BSIs in your facility
Unnecessary, peripherally inserted venous catheter (PIVC) restarts can cost a 200-bed
hospital more than €993,989† ($980,000) annually.1
Calculate the cost of PIVC restarts in your facility
† Converted from US Dollar to Euro using Xe Currency rate on November 2, 2022.
4*. Range of costs from the study by Tacconelli E et al. (ICU setting): €4’200-13’030; Median: €8’615; inflated from 2009 to 2022: €11’219 (about 30% inflation rate).
5*. Cost of catheter removal (€2.26) + cost of second cathether placement (€9.74), including nurse time and all material. These data are in the supplementary material available to support the publication.
Helping patients on the vascular access continuum
As a clinician, you’re often tasked to perform one of the most common invasive procedures—placing a vascular access device. With the right training and knowledge, you may potentially reduce vascular access complications and improve patient outcomes. And we’re here to help, every step of the way.
Vascular access is an integral component of many patients care management plans.6 Vascular access has the potential to greatly improve a patient’s wellbeing; however, it also poses inherent risks.6,7 To minimize these risks it is critical to ensure that Healthcare Professionals (HCP) choose the most
appropriate vascular access device (VAD) for the patient and their individual needs.6,8
At BD, we developed digital tools to help healthcare professionals (HCPs) select the optimal vascular access device based on the therapy and drug(s)/regimen, but also considering specific patient elements such as medical history, lifestyle and co-morbidities.
By digitizing the device selection process we aim to provide a platform to engage with HCPs to help identify not only the most optimal clinically suitable VAD option, but the most appropriate choice for the individual patient.8
Contact us to walk you through the process of identifying the best solutions to meet your patients' vascular access needs.
Perform skin antisepsis with correct aseptic procedures to help ensure a sterile environment. Using the single-use sterile applicator containing an antiseptic agent of alcohol-based chlorhexidine solution.2*
2*. Infusion Nurses Society. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S96.
Place the catheter successfully for first stick success and correct tip positioning. Using guidance technologies such as ultrasound guidance, tip location systems (TLS)2* and tip confirmation systems (TCS).**
2*. Infusion Nurses Society. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S66.
**. The Sherlock 3CG Tip Confirmation System for placement of peripherally inserted central catheters | 5 Cost considerations. U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg24/chapter/5-Cost-considerations. Published 2015. Updated 30 May 2019. Accessed 13 Jan 2023.
Stabilize and secure the catheter at the insertion site. Using adhesive-based engineered stabilization devices (ESDs) may reduce the risk of complications, including infection and catheter dislodgement.2*
2*. Infusion Nurses Society. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S109.
Connect securely to deliver infusions to help ensure safe and consistent medication delivery. Use needle free connectors designed to help reduce the risk of infectious complications.
Help prevent IV complications by using appropriate vascular access practices and devices to care for and maintain intravenous lines for the duration of each patient's treatment:
2*. Infusion Nurses Society. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S113.
2**. Infusion Nurses Society. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. J Infus Nurs. 2021; 44(1S): S115.
A variation in practice can open the door to risk of vascular access complications. By standardizing best practices that are aligned with your facility’s policies, you can streamline processes to make it simpler for every clinician to place a line.
Learn more about the BD Vascular Access Management process and patient safety >>
Discover which vascular access products make the most sense for your patients, will help reduce the risk of complications, and may improve the quality of patient care.
Learn more about the BD Vascular Access Management process >>
Healthcare and industry guidelines are ever-evolving. Staying on top of new standards, government regulations and vascular best practice guidelines can pose a challenge. We can help you navigate this complex landscape so you can focus on patient care.
Learn more about the BD Vascular Access Management process >>
The majority of vascular access complications can be prevented.1 But only by assessing and improving the practices, products and policies that affect the care of each line in your facility.
Creating a better ecosystem is the key to change.
CLEAN3 Clinical Trial provides robust evidence to support the BD vascular care bundle for peripheral IV catheters. This may improve patient outcomes, reduce the number of unnecessary catheter restarts, and decrease the overall cost of care. Watch a video summary of the findings.
Learn more about the BD Vascular Access Management process >>
Success in vascular access care and improving patient outcomes
requires strong collaborations.
PARTNER WITH BD
You are a caregiver whose role is to provide patients with a positive experience and the best possible care.
| Your challenges | How BD can help |
|---|---|
| Staying up to date on current evidence-based practices in vascular access as healthcare continues to evolve rapidly. | Our extensive portfolio of vascular access devices, paired with product training and education, can help you address the vascular access needs of all patients. |
| Finding targeted continuing education resources quickly that meet your developmental needs. | We partner with key opinion and clinical thought leaders to create and share webinars on the latest data and insights. |
| Changes in staff or frequent turnover can create variation and gaps between best practices and current practice. | Our customer assessment and recommendation programme may help reduce variation while providing visibility into discord between practice and policies. |
You are a clinical leader who is passionate about reducing risks of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) and improving overall quality of care.
| Your challenges | How BD can help |
|---|---|
| Addressing and reducing risks of HAIs in your facility while ensuring patient care is not being compromised due to lack of consistency of best practices. | Our vascular practice assessment and consulting programme can improve visibility into gaps between policies and practice, which may be leading to vascular access complications. |
| Staying up to date on the latest technologies and best practices in preventing HAIs as science continues to evolve. | We offer the latest insights and evidence-based practices from key opinion leaders (KOLs) in our library of webinars and resources. |
| Changing staff and frequent clinician turnover can create variation in knowledge and expertise resulting in gaps in clinical practice. | Our on-demand training and education programs support development for clinicians at all levels and can help your facility sustain adherence to vascular access best practices. |
You are responsible for managing relationships with the vendor whose products help standardize practice and improve clinical outcomes while maintaining your hospital's economic goals.
| Your challenges | How BD can help |
|---|---|
| Acquiring information about the latest vascular access innovations that provide both financial efficiencies and improved patient outcomes. | We can provide insight into the financial and clinical implications of implementing new technologies with our library of data and resources. |
| Understanding key attributes of vascular access devices that provide both positive patient and economic outcomes. | Our extensive portfolio of vascular access products and evidence-based medico eco models can help you make informed decisions. |
| Finding and tracking gaps in vascular access clinical practice that may be negatively making an impact on patient experience and/or economic outcomes. | Our customer vascular practice assessment and consulting programme can improve visibility into gaps between policies and practice, which may be exposing your organization to risk. |
