Needle dislodgement from implanted venous access devices: inpatient and outpatient experiences.

A common complication of port-based infusions is needle dislodgement from the port. This study sought to determine if a difference exists in the incidence of needle dislodgements between patients receiving continuous infusions via port in the hospital versus outpatient setting. The two groups of patients were similar in age, diagnosis, treatment regimen, and information recall. Needle dislodgement occurred once in the outpatient group and twice in the hospital group. Contributing factors include unusual tugging on I.V. tubing and nonocclusive dressings. Maintenance of secure dressings, using taping precautions, and providing intensive patient teaching may minimize the risk of needle dislodgement from implanted ports.