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Table 4 Characteristics of PIVCs placed pre-hospital and factors associated with pre-hospital idle PIVCs

From: Idle peripheral intravenous cannulation: an observational cohort study of pre-hospital and emergency department practices

 

Total (n = 375)

PIVC used (n = 298)

Idle PIVC (n = 74)

p-value

Crude OR (95% CI)

 

n

%

n

%

n

%

  

Age

18–29

43

11.5

34

79.1

9

20.9

0.867

1.2 (0.7–2.0)

30–59

158

42.1

127

81.4

29

18.6

 

1.0 (0.4–2.3)

60 + 

174

46.4

137

79.2

36

20.8

 

1.0 (reference)

Sex

F

165

44.0

131

79.9

33

20.1

0.922

1.0 (0.6–1.7)

M

210

56.0

167

80.3

41

19.7

 

1.0 (reference)

Triage category‡

1

0

0.0

0

NA

0

NA

0.122

Not calculated

2

188

50.1

150

79.8

37

19.8

  

3

171

45.6

134

45.0

35

20.7

  

4

7

1.9

7

100.0

0

0.0

  

5

1

0.3

0

0.0

1

100.0

  

Missing

8

2.1

7

87.5

1

12.5

  

Presenting complaint

Chest Pain

109

29.1

82

76.6

25

23.4

Not calculated

Not calculated

Pain

75

20.0

69

93.2

5

6.8

  

Neurological

54

14.4

41

75.9

13

24.1

  

Trauma

40

10.7

31

77.5

9

22.5

  

Other

34

9.1

21

61.8

13

38.2

  

Dyspnoea

27

7.2

25

92.6

2

7.4

  

Gastro-intestinal

13

3.5

13

100.0

0

0.0

  

Seizure

13

3.5

9

69.2

4

30.8

  

Diabetic Related

5

1.3

4

80.0

1

20.0

  

Sepsis

5

1.3

3

60.0

2

40.0

  

Complaint category

Pain or chest pain

184

49.1

151

83.4

30

16.6

0.119

1.0 (reference)

Any other

191

50.9

147

77.0

44

23.0

 

1.5 (0.9–2.5)

Time category‡

Night (18:00–05:59)

108

28.8

89

83.2

18

16.8

0.346

1.0 (reference)

Day (06:00–17:59)

264

70.4

206

78.6

56

21.4

 

1.3 (0.7–2.4)

Time on scene ‡ (minutes)

 < 15

35

9.3

27

79.4

7

20.6

0.663

1.2 (0.5–3.2)

15–29

214

57.1

167

78.0

47

22.0

 

1.3 (0.7–2.3)

30 + 

115

30.7

93

82.3

20

17.7

 

1.0 (reference)

Missing

11

3.2

11

91.7

0

0.0

  

Time in transit ‡ (depart site to ED triage in minutes)

 < 15

116

30.9

95

81.9

21

18.1

0.257

1.0 (reference)

15–29

197

52.5

157

80.5

38

19.5

 

1.1 (0.6–2.0)

30 + 

53

14.1

37

71.2

15

28.8

 

1.8 (0.9–3.9)

Missing

9

2.4

9

100.0

0

0.0

  

Total time pre-hospital (minutes) ‡

(n = 366)

 < 30

31

8.3

24

77.4

7

22.6

0.152

0.9 (0.3–2.7)

30–44

154

41.1

117

76.0

37

24.0

 

1.0 (0.5–2.1)

45–59

129

34.4

109

86.5

17

13.5

 

0.5 (0.2–1.1)

60 + 

55

14.7

42

76.4

13

23.6

 

1.0 (reference)

Missing

6

1.6

6

100.0

0

0.0

  

Distance to hospital (kms) ‡

 < 10

184

49.1

146

80.2

36

19.8

0.978

1.0 (reference)

10–19

124

33.1

98

79.7

25

20.3

 

1.0 (0.6–1.8)

20 + 

63

16.8

51

82.3

12

19.0

 

1.0 (0.5–2.0)

Missing

4

1.1

3

75.0

1

25.0

 

NA

Number of attempts ‡ (n = 334)

1

307

81.9

249

81.9

55

18.1

0.806

Not calculated

2

22

5.9

19

86.4

3

13.6

  

3 + 

8

2.1

7

87.5

1

12.5

  

Missing

38

10.1

23

60.5

15

39.5

 

NA

Insertion site (first) ‡

Antecubital fossa

185

49.3

155

83.8

30

16.2

0.689

1.0 (reference)

Dorsum

95

25.3

76

80.0

19

20.0

 

1.3 (0.7–2.4)

Forearm

51

13.6

41

80.4

10

19.6

 

1.6 (0.6–2.8)

Missing

44

11.7

26

59.1

15

34.1

  

Gauge (first) ‡^

16 g

3

0.8

1

33.3

2

66.7

0.141

1.0 (reference)

18 g

147

39.2

124

84.4

23

15.6

 

1.1 (0.6–2.0)

20 g

167

44.5

136

81.4

31

18.6

  

22 g

11

2.9

9

81.8

2

18.2

  

Missing

47

12.5

28

59.6

19

40.4

  

Skillset ‡#

(first cannulator)

ACP II

256

68.3

214

83.6

42

16.4

0.551

Not calculated

CCP

14

3.7

11

78.6

3

21.4

  

Graduate Paramedic

48

12.8

36

75.0

12

25.0

  

HARU

1

0.3

1

100.0

0

0.0

  

Student

3

0.8

3

100.0

0

0.0

  

Missing

53

14.1

33

62.3

17

32.1

  

Years of service ‡

(first cannulator)

 < 2 years

67

17.9

53

79.1

14

20.9

0.15

0.9 (0.4–1.9)

2–4 years

57

15.2

52

91.2

5

8.8

 

0.3 (0.1–0.9)

5–9 years

94

25.1

79

84.0

15

16.0

 

0.6 (0.3–1.3)

10 + years

100

26.7

77

77.0

23

23.0

 

1.0 (reference)

Missing

57

15.2

37

64.9

17

29.8

  
  1. Three unsuccessful cannulations are included in the totals column only
  2. ‡unknown/missing category not included in inferential statistics. ^comparing 20–22 vs ≤ 18 g
  3. #ACP II = Advanced Care Paramedic level 2, CCP = Critical Care Paramedic, Graduate Paramedic = paramedic during their internship, HARU = High Acuity Response Paramedic, Student = student paramedic on university placement, ED = Emergency Department