Can Needle Design Improve First-Attempt PIVC Insertion Success?

Posted on 8 September 2026

Study Overview

Failed peripheral intravenous catheter insertion attempts can delay treatment, increase costs and cause additional discomfort for patients.

This comparative simulation study examined whether different needle and flashback designs affected insertion success. Sixteen acute care nurses inserted four PIVC types into a training model, including capillary, notched and grooved needle flashback designs. The study also surveyed 100 nurses and 25 purchasing professionals to estimate the resources and costs associated with repeated insertion attempts.

Key Findings

The grooved flashback needle with a thin needle tip achieved higher catheter placement success than the capillary and notched designs.
Nurses using the grooved design were 20% more successful than those using the notched design and 22% more successful than those using the capillary design.
Capillary flashback catheters were associated with the most double punctures, while placement failure was highest with the notched design.
Surveyed nurses reported an average first-attempt success rate of 51%.
The estimated annual cost of unsuccessful first attempts was approximately US$35,919 per nurse when additional labour and materials were considered.

Implications

The findings suggest that PIVC needle and flashback design may influence insertion technique and first-attempt success.

Improving first-attempt success could reduce repeated punctures, minimise patient discomfort, shorten the time to treatment and lower the resources used during unsuccessful attempts. However, the insertion comparison was conducted using a simulation model, so clinical studies involving patients are needed to confirm whether the same benefits occur in practice.

Read more:https://doi.org/10.1177/11297298241313414

Authors: Nancy Moureau; Lois Kaufman

Can Needle Design Improve First-Attempt PIVC Insertion Success?

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