Published Online:
April 30, 2013
Most hospital patients receive fluids or medications via an intravenous catheter at some time during their hospital stay. An intravenous catheter (also called an IV drip or intravenous cannula) is a short, hollow tube placed in the vein to allow administration of medications, fluids or nutrients directly into the bloodstream. These catheters are often replaced every three to four days to try to prevent irritation of the vein or infection of the blood. However, the procedure may cause discomfort to patients and is quite costly. Thisreview included all of the randomised controlled trials which have compared routine catheter changes with changing the catheter only if there were signs of inflammation or infection. We found no evidence of benefit to support current practice of changing catheters routinely every three to four days.