A surveillance project was undertaken on 37 surgical wards by infection control nurses with
the aim of reducing phlebitis/infections associated with peripheral vascular catheters, and to
identify risk factors. Data on 2934 catheters in situ longer than 24h was collected in two
separate surveillance periods and results were fed back after each surveillance period. Four
significant risk factors were identified; what the catheters were used for, the duration the
catheters were in situ, the surveillance period (the first surveillance period had a higher …