Role of training and monitoring and its effect on infusion-related peripheral thrombophlebitis in a teaching hospital

There were several benefits of infusion catheter, but the complications are also too common and the earliest is thrombophlebitis. Several factors are associated with thrombophlebitis. Monitoring along with training or awareness among staff is one of the vital things to reduce thrombophlebitis incidence. The main aim of this current study is to measure the effect of the monitoring and training in peripheral infusion associated Thrombophlebitis across the hospital. The study was done in a 750-bed teaching hospital in eastern India in 2018 over six months. A total of 24 different clinical areas were identified including 7 critical, 3 semi-critical, and 14 non-critical areas. All patients were monitored using a matrix method of monitoring for incidence of thrombophlebitis daily. Data were collected for zero-, three- and six-month incidence for analysis. Monthly data were used for training needs assessment every month. For statistical analysis Microsoft excel software was used for simple statistics and t test for a p value. The total number of thrombophlebitis were coming down from 42 to 16. The changes mainly occur in the non-critical areas from 67% to 25% compared to critical and semi-critical areas. The changes in month 0 and month 3 (p<0.05) month 0 and month 6 were statistically significant (p<0.05). Though the current study is of a very short duration, the findings were in support of the multivariable approaches described by several scientists. It concluded that with proper training and monitoring can decrease the thrombophlebitis.