The effects of pulsatile flushing on phlebitis and peripheral intravenous catheters patency

Thrombophlebitis is considered as a major cause of peripheral intravenous catheters (PICs) failure. The flushing technique in the laboratory has been effective in clearing the catheter duct, but its effectiveness in the clinical setting is unknown, therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of pulsatile flushing on phlebitis, type, and duration of PICs patency in patients.

In this double-blind clinical trial, 71 patients admitted to the inpatient and surgical wards of Imam Khomeini Esfarayen Hospital were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups after sampling by available methods. In the intervention group, the flushing technique was performed by injecting 1 ml of the normal saline solution for one second, then interrupting less than one second and repeating the injection and interrupting until the end of 5 ml of the solution. The Consequences of this study were phlebitis, duration, and type of PICs patency, which were evaluated every 12 hours by using Jacksonchr('39')s phlebitis instrument and direct observation of the catheter.

The incidence of phlebitis in the intervention group was lower than the control group (P<0.001). In addition, two groups had a statistically significant difference in the type of PICs (P<0.001). The median duration of PICs patency in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.001).

Pulsatile flushing is an effective technique to increase longevity of PICs and recommended as a practical method in clinical setting.