Replacing peripheral intravenous catheters only when clinically indicated (for example, after accidental removal or infiltration) causes no more complications than replacing them according to standard time-based schedules, according to a Lancet study.

Researchers randomized some 3300 adult patients to have their intravenous catheters replaced every third day or only as clinically indicated. The rate of phlebitis, the primary outcome, was identical in the two groups, at 7%. Secondary outcomes, such as rates of catheter colonization and all-cause bloodstream infections, were also similar between groups.

The authors calculate that, on average, clinically indicated replacement would extend catheter use by a single day, and that one in every five patients would avoid an unnecessary procedure. They estimate that the reduction in staff time and other costs could save the U.S. $60 million in healthcare costs annually.

Source: Lancet