Assessment of the Value of a Carriage System to Organize and Elevate Intravenous Tubing

Abstract

Caregiver/patient fall injury risks increase when medical tubing drapes on floors. The objective of this research was to examine the value of a novel carriage system that organizes and elevates medical and intravenous (IV) tubing. Using a prospective, multicenter, cohort design, value of the IV carriage system was assessed using a valid, reliable survey that provided the total score and scores of 3 involvement factors: personal relevance, attitude, and importance. The survey was scored on a 0-100 scale, and questions about tubing elevation, patient mobility, and ease of use were rated on 0-10 scales. Participants were adult and pediatric inpatient caregivers (n = 131). In adult intensive care environments (n = 61), carriage system value scores were higher in the quaternary care site compared to 4 enterprise adult intensive care sites (median [Q1, Q3]: 90.0 [69.2, 97.5] vs 72.5 [52.5, 78.3], respectively; P = .008). Compared to nurses working in adult environments (n = 58), pediatric nurses (n = 40) had higher value scores (median [Q1, Q3]: 89.2 [68.3, 97.5] vs 97.5 [85.8, 100.0], respectively; P = .007). High median score ratings (9-10) were given for tubing elevation, patient mobility, and ease of use. In conclusion, the IV carriage system was valued by nurses as an important tool in clinical practice.