Grant to improve regional health outcomes

THE Grampians Health nursing and midwifery-led research team have received a Victorian Nurses and Midwives Trust major grant to investigate the patient care and safety of those who receive Peripheral Intravenous Catheters, or PIVC.

Up to 70 per cent of patients have a PIVC during a hospital admission and they are usually placed on a patient’s hand or in the elbow crook to administer medication or fluids.

The insertion of PIVCs is common but can include risks such as pain and discomfort or infection.

“The evidence we’ve seen suggests that about half of PIVCs inserted in the Emergency Department are not used and up to 90 per cent fail, needing to be removed before treatment is completed, which often means reinsertion of the PIVC,” research assistant Karina Demasson said.

“It’s great to see that PIVC safety is a focus nationwide, however, many of these trials are focused on metropolitan hospitals.

“Regional and rural communities face distinct health challenges that our metropolitan counterparts do not.”

The team anticipates the outcomes of the research will include a reduction in infection rates, improved management of PIVCs, improved removal of cannulas that haven’t been used in the previous 24 hours, and a reduction in PIVC failure.