A prospective study of two intravenous catheter securement techniques in a skilled nursing facility.

A prospective, controlled study was undertaken in a skilled nursing facility to determine whether a sterile catheter securement device (StatLock i.v., Venetec International, Mission Viejo, CA) would provide better intravenous therapy outcomes than a standard securement technique. The StatLock-device resulted in significantly longer average catheter dwell times (3.95 days versus 2.45 days) and significantly fewer total complications (65 versus 155). In addition, the securement device reduced the total time spent managing a vascular access device by 13.5 minutes per patient. Thus, the StatLock i.v. device improved overall clinical outcomes of i.v. therapy and the quality of care.