Peripheral Venous Cannulation Associated Thrombophlebitis And Its Management

Introduction: Thrombophlebitis due to peripheral venous catheterization is one of the most common yet the most neglected iatrogenic complications in health care settings. If taken care of, the incidence of thrombophlebitis can be significantly reduced thus reducing the burden of its complications, patient’s hospital stay and exploitation of human and economical resources. Material & Methods: This observational study of thrombophlebitis after peripheral venous cannulation was carried out at a tertiary care centre. 761 patients admitted in different clinical departments were subjected to peripheral venous catheterization for various therapeutic treatment. Results: 100 patients developed thrombophlebitis out of 761 patients. Majority of the patients were managed by conservative methods, only one patient was managed by incisional pus drainage. Conclusion: From this study we conclude that the incidence of thrombophlebitis in our hospital setting was around 10%. Taking aseptic precautions, proper cannula care and changing the cannula timely can significantly reduce the incidence. Most of the cases can be managed non-operatively by giving medications according to symptoms.