Objectives
A previous study by Katsogridakis et al (Pediatr Emerg Care. 2008;24:83–88) evaluated the use of the white light Veinite transillumination device to improve vein access in children. Since then, advanced light emitting diode color lighting has been developed to improve the visualization of veins. To evaluate the efficacy of the new technology, we carried out a study in our pediatric emergency departments using the light emitting diode-based Veinlite PEDI (TransLite, Sugar Land, Tex).
Methods
A total of 112 pediatric patients were enrolled in the study. Children who presented to the emergency department aged 1 to 10 years old were randomly assigned to the Veinlite PEDI (Veinlite) group or standard of care (SoC) group. The primary outcome measure was first attempt success. Secondary outcome measures were number of intravenous (IV) attempts and time to peripheral intravenous catheter (PIC) placement.
Results
A total of 110 patients completed the study: 58 boys and 52 girls. The first attempt success rate was significantly higher in the Veinlite group compared with the SoC group (92.9% vs 72.2%, P < 0.004). In addition, the Veinlite group had a fewer number of attempts compared with the SoC group (1.07 ± 0.54 vs 1.31 ± 0.25, P = 0.04). The Veinlite group resulted in a shorter total time of attempts per patient compared with the SoC group (49.98 ± 18.4 vs 59.68 ± 22.5 P = 0.01).
Conclusions
The use of new technology in the Veinlite PEDI (TransLite, Sugar Land, Tex), to assist with peripheral IV access in children, improves the first time success rate for IV access. Improved visualization of veins also reduced the number of attempts and the time required for PIC placement. These results suggest that the new technology of the Veinlite results in better PIC access than Veinlite transilluminaton device with white light.
The infiltration and extravasation prevalence were found to be high, but the interventions to address them were inadequate. Training and implementation strategies should be planned for pediatric nurses to prevent infiltration and extravasation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.