Does non-invasive blood pressure measurement increase the complications and decrease indwelling time of peripheral intravenous catheters: A cohort study.

Abstract

To explore the efficacy of non-invasive blood pressure monitors on reducing clinical complications of peripheral intravenous catheters in renal transplant recipients. A peripheral intravenous catheter is a regular route of medication administration, but the incidence of complications such as infiltration, occlusion and phlebitis perpetuates in the clinical setting. This was a cohort study. Patients were placed naturally into observation group or control group according to whether or not the two procedures (non-invasive blood pressure monitoring and peripheral intravenous catheters indwelling) were on the same arm. Univariate test and Cox regression model were used to estimate relative risk factors. The STROBE checklist was used to guide the submission. We identified 177 kidney recipient patients during the perioperative period with 440 peripheral intravenous catheters. There were incidences of 112 (25.5%) phlebitis, 137 (31.1%) occlusion and 150 (31.8%) infiltration. There was no significant difference between incidence of phlebitis, occlusion and infiltration between the observation group and the control group (p>.05). The observation group peripheral intravenous catheters indwelling time was 97.03±6.76hr, while it was 89.22±9.55hr for the control group. However, this difference was not significant between the two groups (p>.05). Cox risk regression showed that only a high BMI was a risk factor for peripheral intravenous catheters indwelling time. Non-invasive blood pressure monitoring did not increase complications or shorten PIVCs indwelling time among renal transplant recipients. BMI represented an independent risk factor for the peripheral intravenous catheters indwelling time. It is not a prohibition to take non-invasive blood pressure measurement when having a peripheral intravenous catheter, especially in some special circumstances in the clinical practice or when good prevention procedures are implemented.