Status of Phlebitis in South Korean Hospitals: Focusing on Electronic Incident Reporting Systems

Abstract

Peripheral venous catheterization (PVC) is the most commonly used invasive technique, and its importance to patient safety is increasing. And phlebitis is a common complication which can lead to increased costs and extended hospital stays. This study attempted to characterize the current status of phlebitis based on incident reports in the Korea Patient Safety Reporting & Learning System. This retrospective descriptive study analysed 259 phlebitis cases reported in that system from 1 July 2017 to 31 December 2019. The analysis results were summarized using numbers and percentages or means with standard deviations. Among the reported phlebitis cases, antibiotics and high-osmolarity fluids comprised 48.2% of the intravenous inflammatory drugs used. All reported cases presented blood-flow infections. Insufficient observation or management was the most common cause of phlebitis. It was found that interventions for phlebitis were inconsistent with those recommended in evidence-based guidelines. Recommendations for nurses to alleviate complications in PVC must be promoted and educated. It is necessary to provide feedback from the incident reports analysis.