The Center for Nursing Research & Innovation  

Venous Access Safety

The Center for Nursing Research & Innovation is proud to present our two Venous Access Safety Courses:

• The ABC's of VAD Patient Safety, and
• Safe CVC Removal

The ABC's of VAD Patient Safety

Please contact us at dfrantz@stanfordmed.org to have this self-directed course sent to you (free of charge).

Target Audience: Advanced Practice Nurses, Medical Students, or House Staff interested in VAD safety

Course Description:
The Venous Access Safety course focuses on evidence-based principles that are the foundation for optimizing patient safety and outcomes related to appropriate venous access strategies, care and maintenance of vascular access devices, and management of complications associated with vascular access devices.

Venous access devices (VADs) are an invaluable, lifesaving, clinical tool used in contemporary health care. A high volume clinical procedure, central venous catheter (CVC) complication rates in hospitals are well over 10%, resulting in billions of dollars in additional health care costs (Scott, 1995). As a health care professional who works with catheterized patients, there are many things you can do to reduce the risk of venous access complications.

This module presents an overview of the compelling patient safety problems associated with the use of central venous access devices, the scope of these problems, and current interdisciplinary efforts addressing them. The module also presents measures designed to reduce the risk of central venous access complications.

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

• Describe the scope of the current patient safety problems associated with the use of central venous access devices;
• Describe the health consequences, legal implications, and economic costs of CVC safety problems;
• Differentiate CVC types based on their principal physical characteristics, common insertion sites, and clinical applications;
• Analyze patient, therapeutic, and cost factors that influence the selection of a specific CVC;
• Identify safety principles related to CVC device and site selection;
• Describe techniques and procedures that reduce the risk of infection prior to CVC insertion; and
• Describe care and maintenance procedures that reduce the risk of complications both during and after CVC insertion.
   

Safe CVC Removal 

Please contact us at dfrantz@stanfordmed.org to have this self-directed course sent to you (free of charge).

Central venous catheter placement has become a routine intervention along the continuum of health care. In any given year, these "life lines" for vascular access are inserted and removed millions of times. Yet, while life saving, the use and removal of CVCs also have inherent risks. There are several adverse events that are associated with CVC removal in particular, including air embolism, thrombotic emboli, catheter fracture and hemorrhage. While these complications are relatively uncommon, they make what seems a minor procedure a life threatening even for the catheterized patient.

By the end of this patient safety education module, you should be able to:

• Describe the potential etiological conditions that may result in central venous catheter-related air embolism.
• Describe the potential pathophysiologic events of central venous catheter-related air embolism.
• Outline the recommended procedure for the safe removal of a percutaneous central venous catheter.

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