Skip to main content

Table 5 Characteristics of PIVCs inserted (ED and pre-hospital combined) and factors associated with idle PIVCs

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

Characteristics of PIVC

All emergency PIVCs (n = 1249)

Used within 24 h (n = 883)

Idle

(n = 366)

p-value

Crude OR (95% CI)

Adjusted OR (95% CI)

 

n

valid %

n

%

n

%

   

Geographical location of insertion

Pre-hospital

372

29.8

298

80.1

74

19.9

 < 0.001

1.0 (reference)

1.0 (reference)

ED

877

70.2

585

66.7

292

33.3

 

2.0 (1.5–2.7)

2.4 (1.7–3.3)

Staff type

Nurse

587

47.0

381

64.9

206

35.1

 < 0.001

2.5 (1.8–3.5)

Not tested in model

Doctor

277

22.2

195

70.4

82

29.6

 

2.0 (1.3–2.9)

 

Paramedic

372

29.8

298

80.1

74

19.9

 

1.0 (reference)

 

Other ED staff

13

1.0

9

69.2

4

30.8

   

Arrival mode of patient

Pre-hospital

674

54.0

504

74.8

170

25.2

0.001

1.0 (reference)

Not tested in model

Self-presented

575

46.0

379

65.9

196

34.1

 

1.5 (1.2–2.0)

 

Seniority (first clinician)

Student

8

0.6

7

87.5

1

12.5

 

Not calculated

Not tested in model

Level 1

68

5.4

50

73.5

18

26.5

   

Level 2

997

79.8

702

70.4

295

29.6

   

Level 3

113

9.0

82

72.6

31

27.4

   

Unknown

63

5.0

42

66.7

21

33.3

   

Age

18–29

184

14.7

120

65.2

64

34.8

0.05

1.4 (1.0–2.1)

Not retained in model

30–59

500

40.0

351

70.2

149

29.8

0.33

1.1 (0.9–1.5)

 

60 + 

565

45.2

412

72.9

153

27.1

0.13

1.0 (reference)

 

Sex

F

626

50.1

438

70.0

188

30.0

0.571

1.1 (0.8–1.4)

Not retained in model

M

623

49.9

445

71.4

178

28.6

 

1.0 (reference)

 

Triage category ‡€

      

0.04

0.8 (0.7–1.0)

0.7 (0.5–0.8)

1

0

0.0

0

NA

0

0.0

   

2

503

40.3

340

67.6

163

32.4

   

3

661

52.9

477

72.2

184

27.8

   

4

74

5.9

57

77.0

17

23.0

   

5

3

0.2

2

66.7

1

33.3

   

Missing

8

0.6

7

87.5

1

12.5

   

Time category

Night (18:00–05:59)

308

24.7

232

75.3

76

24.7

0.04

1.0 (reference)

Not retained in model

Day (06:00–17:59)

941

75.3

651

69.2

290

30.9

 

1.4 (1.0–1.8)

 

Number of attempts ‡

1

988

79.1

690

69.8

298

30.2

0.163

Not calculated

Not tested in model

2

140

11.2

107

76.4

33

23.6

   

3 + 

83

6.6

63

75.9

20

24.1

   

Missing

38

3.0

23

60.5

15

39.5

   

Cannula insertion site ‡ (first)

Antecubital fossa

758

60.8

525

69.3

233

30.7

0.049

1.5 (0.9–2.6)

1.6 (1.0–2.6)

Dorsum

269

21.6

195

72.5

74

27.5

 

1.8 (1.1–2.9)

1.1 (0.8–1.5)

Forearm

116

9.3

93

80.2

23

19.8

 

1.0 (reference)

1.0 (reference)

Unknown/other

106

8.3

70

66.0

36

34.0

   

Cannula gauge (first) ‡^ (n = 328)

     

0.039

  

Other (14 or 16 g)

4

0.3

2

50.0

2

50.0

 

1.0 (reference)

Not retained in model

18 g

286

22.9

218

76.2

68

23.8

  

20 g

842

67.4

584

69.4

258

30.6

 

1.4 (1.0–1.9)

 

22 g

51

4.1

37

72.5

14

27.5

  

Unknown

66

5.3

42

63.6

24

36.4

   
  1. Five attempted PIVCS not included
  2. ‡Unknown/missing category not included in inferential statistics
  3. €Triage category treated as an ordinal variable, classified as 2, 3 and 4 or 5
  4. ^comparing 20–22 vs ≤ 18 g.Variables marked as not retained in model dropped out of the multivariable model after adjustment for predictors with greater estimates of effect. Variables marked as not tested were not tested in the model as they were not comparable across the ED and pre-hospital setting, did not make clinical sense as a predictor, or were highly correlated with variables already in the model. Student (either setting), Level 1 (graduate paramedic, intern), Level 2: ACP II, RN, resident, Level 4: CCP, HARU, CN, CNC, consultant or registrar