Purpose

A scoping review on the use of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in neonatal intensive care unit was performed to determine (1) the incidence of PIVC-related complications, (2) risk factors for these complications, and (3) measures to prevent them.

Methods

We searched the MEDLINE database through PubMed, CINAHL, and Ichushi-Web version 5 (from the Japan Medical Abstracts Society) for articles published from inception until January 2022. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) articles reporting the incidence of neonatal PIVC complications; (2) articles identifying the risk factors for neonatal PIVC complications or measures to prevent these complications; (3) article types including original observational studies, randomized controlled trials, reviews, case reports, symposia, conference proceedings, guidelines, and commentaries ; and (4) articles published in English or Japanese. We excluded articles that included non-neonatal patients and those that evaluated catheters other than PIVCs. We screened data on the incidence of PIVC-related complications, risk factors associated with these complications, and their preventive measures and extracted them.

Results

We analyzed 47 articles. The incidence of complications of PIVC was 45.6–94.6%. The incidence of infiltration, extravasation, and occlusion was 1.0–78.0%, 2.4–84.0%, and 1.4–77.3%, respectively. Risk factors for PIVC complications included gestational age, body weight, antibiotic use, intravenous nutrition, total number of insertion attempts, insertion site, and type of infusion to maintain the patency of PIVCs (intermittent or continuous). The most essential preventive measures identified were enhancing nurse education and implementing specific PIVC management interventions.

Conclusion

The incidence of PIVC complications was high, and the most common complications were infiltration, extravasation, and occlusion; thus, attention should be paid to these. Certain factors associated with PIVC complications are difficult to address, while others are amenable to intervention. Improving nurse education and implementing specific management interventions are essential measures for preventing PIVC complications.