Infection free midline catheter implementation at a community hospital (2 years).

BACKGROUND: To reduce excess central line use and provide an option for difficult venous access patients through the introduction of a midline catheter.

METHODS: Design included prospective monitoring of the implementation of a quality improvement project. The setting was a 576 bed, urban, community, nonprofit, Magnet recognized, level 3 trauma center serving primarily adult patients. Midline and peripherally inserted central catheters were inserted by a specialty nursing team; care and maintenance of all devices were provided by front line staff.

RESULTS: Zero midline catheter infections were observed in the 24 months after implementation of the fixed length, power injectable device. Completion of therapy was 80%, the most frequently encountered complication was device dislodgement.

CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of a vascular access nurse led midline catheter program, coupled with device selection algorithms expanded the ability to select the right device for the patient, while decreasing excess central line usage without additional increased risks to the patient.