Management of symptomatic phlebitis related to peripheral venous catheters: A descriptive national survey of nursing practice

Background: There is no international consensus on the treatment of symptomatic phlebitis associated with peripheral venous catheters. Consequently, nurses employ heterogeneous management strategies that are often not based on evidence. In this observational study, the objectives were to identify and analyze the various approaches used by registered nurses in France to manage phlebitis associated with peripheral venous catheters.

Methods: Nurses and health executives were invited to take part in a practice survey on the management of phlebitis associated with peripheral catheters. Results: A total of 3,038 healthcare professionals from four French regions responded to the survey. They reported heterogeneous strategies for treatment of symptomatic phlebitis, such as 70° alcohol compresses. In addition, 98.39% of respondents stated that they did not use a standardized scale to assess phlebitis. Discussion: Further research on the effectiveness of the treatments used in this survey is necessary to enable healthcare professionals to provide evidence-based care for this complication.