Key result
Placement of a peripheral intravenous cannula at the dorsum of the hand in a patient using a walking aid resulted in a fatigue fracture of the cannula, which required surgical removal.
Why the study?
Holding weight-bearing walking aids after orthopedic surgery can repeatedly bend peripheral IV cannulas placed at the wrist or hand, potentially causing fatigue fracture.
Case Report (n=1)
No
Peripheral venous cannulas should be placed away from the wrist joint in orthopedic patients who use walking aids to prevent catheter bending and fatigue fracture.
Alerts to possible cannula fracture risk with hand-held aids; hypothesis-generating for alternative sites or devices.
In orthopedic patients peripheral intra venous (IV) cannulation is a common procedure for various clinical purposes. After the surgery most of the patient uses walking aids (walking frame, crutches) for mobilization. The dorsum of the hand or wrist is one of the most common place for the peripheral IV cannulation. When patients holding weight bearing devices, there is a potential of bending the catheter part of the cannula. Repeated bending can result in fatigue fracture of the cannula. To avoid these, it is advisable to place the peripheral venous cannulas at places away from wrist joint which will prevent the catheter bending and fracture of it. This is an very important point to be consider when placing cannulas in orthopedic surgical patients.
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Karunathilaka et al. (2020) conducted a case report in Intravenous cannula fracture (n=1). Peripheral intravenous cannulation at the dorsum of the hand was evaluated on Cannula fracture and embolization. Placement of a peripheral intravenous cannula at the dorsum of the hand in a patient using a walking aid resulted in a fatigue fracture of the cannula, which required surgical removal.
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