A comparative study of a new skin preparation method for peripheral intravenous lines.

The incidence of peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter infection in relation to skin preparation methods was studied over a 4 month period in 60 patients who had peripheral intravenous infusions in an acute-care setting. Sixty two IV sites were evaluated for redness, inflammation, pain or tenderness, and other signs that might indicate infection or other IV site complications. The hospital protocol for intravenous skin preparation and maintenance was compared with a new method using I.V. Prep. The results indicate a statistically significant difference exists between the two groups when comparing incidence of peripheral IV site complications.