Vascular Access Teams and Their Success in the Acute Care Setting

Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIV) are frequently used in acute care settings for short-term delivery of intravenous (IV) medications and fluids (Marsh et al., 2018). While this is a common practice in the hospital, the insertion of these PIVs can be quite difficult. According to Marsh et al. (2018), multiple insertion attempts are common, and post-insertion failures from complications such as occlusion are as high as 69%, triggering the insertion of subsequent catheters. This research analyzed the use of a vascular access team, commonly known as an IV team, to improve PIV outcomes in the acute care setting. These vascular access teams are comprised of individuals who have specialized, extensive knowledge having to do with the insertion of vascular access devices, one of which is a PIV