Effectiveness of a new flushing and maintenance policy using peripherally inserted central catheters for adults: best practice.

The authors of this article sought to assess the incidence of peripherally inserted central catheter replacements, establish a best practice model, and test the impact of a new flushing and maintenance policy for peripherally inserted central catheters. This quasi-experimental study used historical data and a pre- and post-interventional research design. A new policy was instituted with a new physician order set. After an educational program was introduced and implemented, the peripherally inserted central catheter replacement rate was compared to the preintervention replacement rates. The peripherally inserted central catheter replacement rate declined by 2% immediately after the educational intervention.