EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF SECURING INTRAVENOUS CATHETERS - MEASUREMENT OF FORCES DURING SIMULATED ACCIDENTAL PULLOUT

The purpose of the study was to compare the relative effectiveness of several combinations of tapes and taping methods with respect to the f orce required to pull out intravenous catheters. A simulated forearm m odel consisting of a section of firm PVC pipe was used for the first a nd second series of experiments. In the third experiment, one method o f taping catheters was compared in the PVC model and in volunteers. Pu llout forces were measured with a force transducer and recorded on pap er. In the first experiment, catheters secured with Curity tape resist ed pullout to a greater extent than those with Transpore tape and prov ided approximately twice the force advantage (P < 0.05). In the second experiment using Curity tape minimum forces to dislodge the catheters were (means +/- SD) 53 +/- 13, 82 +/- 13, 113 +/- 29, 124 +/- 24, 176 +/- 29 and 141 +/- 46 N, for methods 1-6 respectively. In the third s eries, the minimum pullout forces were higher for Curity than with Tra nspore tape for both the human and simulated PVC forearm surfaces (63 +/- 11 and 55 +/- 12 N vs 52 +/- 7 and 44 +/- 12 N, P < 0.01), and the pullout forces were higher for the simulated vs the human skin surfac e for both tape types (P < 0.01). Compared with Curity tape, Transpore tape was more likely to fail by tape fracture in both the simulated a nd human skin surfaces (P < 0.05). The data suggest that there are imp ortant differences in pullout forces and mechanisms of dip lodgement d epending on taping method and tape type. Curity tape, using method 5 o r 6, was superior to Transpore tape and the other taping methods in re sisting pullout.