Presented by BD

Catheter-associated thrombosis (CAT) is a potential complication of vascular access devices, including PICCs, that can result in therapy interruption, increased cost of care, and patient consequences including phlebitis and pulmonary embolism, and there are multiple modifiable (e.g., catheter size, insertion, and location confirmation methods) and non-modifiable risk factors for CAT. A retrospective study of patients with PICCs placed by vascular access nurses was conducted following a quality improvement initiative at a hospital within a 1200-bed health system in the Philadelphia area, and a pre-post analysis compared CAT rates before and after a multi-year intervention targeting modifiable risk factors. Across the health system, very low CAT rates (1.2%) were observed in the post-intervention period compared with a pre-intervention rate of 4.6%, and for every 1,000 PICC placements the economic model predicted cost savings exceeding $1M USD due to avoided thrombosis, demonstrating that small improvements to controllable elements of catheter care can result in significant reductions in the risk of CAT and associated costs.

CRNI® RUs: 2

CRNI® RUs: This session has been approved for 2 CRNI® recertification units and meets the non INS Meeting criteria.