Reducing the Risk of Phlebitis From Peripheral Venous Catheter

Evaluation of the Effect of Proximal Massage and Fist Clenching in Reducing the Risk of Phlebitis From Peripheral Venous Catheter

Nurses frequently use peripheral venous catheters in hospitals to provide medications and fluids for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Peripheral venous catheter use brought various problems, including phlebitis, infiltration, extravasation, ecchymosis, thrombophlebitis, and embolism, in addition to being a regularly utilized nursing practice. The literature used techniques like heat application, fist clenching, and proximal massage to lower the risk of thrombophlebitis and associated problems.

Between October and November 2022, individuals who received orthopedic care at a state hospital and had peripheral venous catheters participated in the trial as a randomized controlled experimental study. The control group received routine nursing care, while the experimental group received proximal massage and palm fist exercises. The numbers used to identify the control and experimental groups were drawn at random from a table of random numbers, and each group had 36 patients. The researcher used the "Patient Information Form," "Plebitis Risk Scale Due to Peripheral Venous Catheter," and "Plebitis Diagnostic Scale" to collect data using in-person interviews and observational methods. The p value for statistical significance is p<0.05. Proximal massage: For a total of 5 to 10 minutes, twice daily for 4 days, between 30 seconds- 1 minute in sessions of approximately 20 strokes, a light massage is administered utilizing the palm surfaces of the fingers. Under the researcher's supervision, participants in the activity known as fist clenching squeeze a soft palm ball 20 times in each of twice a day for four days, lasting between 30 Seconds - 1 minute.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who volunteered to participate in the study,
• Who are over 18 years old,
• Having no barriers to written and verbal communication in Turkish,
• IV treatment was applied during the hospitalization period and IV treatment was recently started,
• Patients with IV cannula in the upper extremity
• In the last six months before hospitalization, IV treatment was not applied,
• A maximum of 2 IV attempts should be made on a patient.
• Patients without chronic dermatological and/or vascular disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who did not volunteer to participate in the study, unconscious patients,
• IV attempts were made to the same patient more than 4 times in total,
• Patients with IV cannula in the lower extremity.