Effectiveness of Using Ultrasonography in Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Application

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral intravenous catheter applications, in addition to the traditional method in various clinics, are among the common methods using ultrasound guidance.
METHODS: The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design on 30 patients who were treated in a daily chemotherapy unit and agreed to participate in the study. The data of the study were collected using “Patient Information Form,” “State Anxiety Inventory,” “Pain Scale,” “Satisfaction Scale,” “Infiltration Scale,” “Visual Infusion Phlebitis Assessment Scale,” and “Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization Follow-up Form.” Patients were randomly assigned to the application groups, peripheral intravenous catheterization was performed using ultrasonography-guided method and the traditional method, and the application methods were repeated by crossing the groups. The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, a Chi-square, and paired t-test.
RESULTS: The mean age of the participants in the study was 56.16 ± 12.29 and the mean body
mass index was 32.71 ± 4.43. Of which, 53.3% of the patients were male and 36.7% of the patients had lung cancer. There was no significant difference between ultrasonography-guided method and the traditional method. Peripheral intravenous catheterization applications in terms of success rate (100.0%-93.3%), number of interventions (1 ± 0.0-1.20 ± 0.40), and state anxiety score means (46.93 ± 6.10-45.10 ± 6.60), respectively. In the USG-guided method, while the time spent was 63.33 ± 34.52 second, pain intensity was 1.53 ± 1.13, and satisfaction level was 9.76 ± 0.81, a significant difference was found in terms of the time spent (84.53 ± 47.13 second), pain intensity (2.96 ± 1.77), and satisfaction score average (7.433 ± 1.40) in the traditional method. A statistically significant difference was found between these results obtained in both application methods (P <.05). There were no complications that occurred in the patients of both application methods.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: It was found that the application of peripheral intravenous catheter in ultra-sonography-guided method reduced the time spent for the intervention, reduced the pain felt, and increased the level of satisfaction, however, had no effect in terms of complication development. The study is recommended to be repeated in different clinical area and patient groups.