New National Guidelines Recommend Safer IV Catheter Securement

Major new guidelines from the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) for the first time state a preference for a particular method of securing/stabilizing catheters. Whenever feasible, the new standards state, "using a manufactured catheter stabilization device is preferred. The INS standards no longer list non-sterile tape or suture as acceptable methods of catheter stabilization.

In a related change to the INS standards, the guidelines for controlling catheter-related infections now recommend the evaluation of catheter stabilization devices to reduce infections.

The StatLock® IV safety device is the only evidence-based catheter stabilization device that meets the new national standards, according to its manufacturer, Venetec International. Devices like StatLock are also covered in guidelines and publications issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Patient Safety Foundation.

INS is the world's leading medical society dedicated to IV infusion and IV safety, and does not endorse or recommend specific products.

Two new articles in the INS publication, Journal of Infusion Nursing, detail eight studies favorably comparing StatLock to non-sterile tape and suture for catheter stabilization.

Catheter placement and securement are the most common invasive medical procedures.  There are 300 million peripheral IV catheters sold in the U.S. each year, according to industry analysts, plus millions more central venous, arterial and urinary catheters.