Table 1 Participant characteristics
Category | Arterial catheters (n = 664; %) |
|---|---|
Age | Â |
 16–59 | 346 (52) |
 60–74 | 211 (32) |
 75+ | 107 (16) |
Hospital day at entry (N = 657) |  |
 0–3 | 182 (28) |
 4–7 | 314 (48) |
 8+ | 161 (24) |
Gender | Â |
 Male | 449 (68) |
 Female | 215 (32) |
Diagnosis | Â |
 Medical | 316 (48) |
 Surgical elect | 84 (13) |
 Surgical cardiac | 86 (13) |
 Surgical emergency | 105 (15) |
 Trauma and burns | 69 (10) |
 Other | 4 (1) |
ICU APACHE II (N = 662) |  |
 0–9 | 51 (8) |
 10–19 | 309 (46) |
 20–29 | 244 (37) |
 30–39 | 53 (8) |
 40–49 | 5 (1) |
Catheter—side of body |  |
 Left | 274 (41) |
 Right | 390 (59) |
Diabetes (N = 663) |  |
 No | 537 (81) |
 Yes | 126 (19) |
Leukopenia* | Â |
 No | 643 (97) |
 Yes | 21 (3) |
Artery—AC |  |
 Radial | 551 (83) |
 Femoral | 49 (8) |
 Dorsalis pedis | 16 (2) |
 Other | 48 (7) |
Current infection (at entry) | Â |
 No | 545 (82) |
 Yes | 119 (18) |
Infection on admission | Â |
 Respiratory | 65 (10) |
 Wound | 10 (2) |
 Urinary | 6 (1) |
 Other | 28 (4) |
 Multiple | 10 (1) |
Site check+ (N = 662) |  |
 Normal | 633 (95) |
 Red—only | 24 (3) |
 Swelling—only | 1 (1) |
 Multiple | 4 (1) |
Multiple insertion attempts (n = 653) |  |
 No | 638 (98) |
 Yes | 15 (2) |
Additional IVDs (at removal) (N = 17) |  |
 0 | 1 (6) |
 1 | 12 (70) |
 2 | 1 (6) |
 3 +  | 3 (18) |
Dressing and securement (at entry) (Total = 100%) |  |
 Simple transparent | 92 (14) |
 Advanced transparent | 3 (1) |
 Multiple | 569 (85) |
Ultrasound guided insertion (n = 657) |  |
 No | 501 (76) |
 Yes | 156 (24) |
Place of insertion | Â |
 ICU | 422 (64) |
 OT | 175 (26) |
 Other | 67 (10) |
Patient ventilated | Â |
 No | 140 (21) |
 Yes | 524 (79) |
Received IV antibiotics (during enrolment) | Â |
 No | 114 (17) |
 Yes | 550 (83) |
Received IV heparin lock/flush (during enrolment) | Â |
 No | 649 (98) |
 Yes | 15 (2) |
Received IV heparin infusion (during enrolment) | Â |
 No | 610 (92) |
 Yes | 54 (8) |