Flebite em acessos venosos periféricos de pacientes de um hospital do Vale do Paraíba

Abstract

Phlebitis is an acute inflammation of the vein that causes swelling, pain, discomfort, redness around the puncture and a palpable cord-like vein. The objective of the study was to identify the incidence or absence of phlebitis in patients in a general hospital, the complications associated with venipuncture and the length of time the catheters remained in situ. This is a prospective quantitative study with an exploratory and descriptive nature which analyzed 76 patients. Of these, 24 (31.6%) developed phlebitis; 10 (41.6%) were classified as Grade I phlebitis, 9 (37.5%) as Grade II, 4 (16.7%) as Grade III and 1 (4.2%) as Grade IV. The length of time the device remained in situ ranged from 3 to 120 hours with an average of 49 hours. Nursing has an important role in preventing complications associated with peripheral intravenous access. Furthermore, the risk of phlebitis should be carefully evaluated.