It is possible to create a vascular access team in a middle resource country? Experience of Hevi Paediatric Teaching Hospital at DUHOK – IRAQ

Abstract

Background: Vascular access devices are critically important for the treatment of neonates and paediatric patients. Vascular cannulation is a key clinical skill for healthcare professionals working in the neonatal and paediatric wards. The creation of specialised Teams dedicated to the positioning of Vascular Venous Accesses is increasingly used and of fundamental importance for good patients care. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a training intervention for the staff of the Intensive Care Units for the insertion of the short/long peripheral catheter and to create a NuVa Team (Nurse-led Vascular Access Team). Methods: At the Hevi Paediatric Teaching Hospital, a course and an on-the-job training programme were carried out for two doctors and six nurses on the insertion of the in long peripheral catheters newborns and paediatric patients admitted at the hospital. The data collected were analysed from April 2017 to December 2020. A pre and post-procedure study was designed to determine whether establishing the Nurses Vascular Accesses Team (NuVa) is associated with higher success rates and a reduced risk of catheter-related complications. Results: A total of 271 Leader-cath™ catheters were placed during the study period. The mean age at catheters insertion was 2.9 years, the mean residence time was 11.7 days. Most catheters were inserted by five nurses ( n = 216 (80%)); the remainder was entered by two paediatricians ( n = 55 (20%)), p = 0.001. General reasons for removal were home discharge ( n = 103 (38%)), deceases ( n = 81 (30%)), accidental causes ( n = 43 (16%)), leg/arm oedema ( n = 21 (8%)), mechanical problems ( n = 10 (3.5%)), physician’s indication ( n = 9 (3%)) and skin infection ( n = 4 (1.5%)), p = 0.001. Conclusions: The standardisation of the procedure for inserting the catheters placement and the creation of a NuVa Team has been of fundamental importance in gaining awareness of the procedure and allows healthcare professionals to insert the catheter without complications.