Central venous catheters (CVCs) are essential in critical care, but their failure due to dressing disruption is a persistent issue—especially for jugular lines. The STICKY trial, a multicenter randomized controlled trial, examined whether adding a medical liquid adhesive (MLA) could improve dressing integrity for jugular CVCs in ICU patients.Study Overview
This trial involved 160 adult ICU patients with jugular CVCs across four Australian hospitals. Patients were randomized to standard dre...

Peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) insertion is often challenging in children, leading to multiple attempts, distress, and delayed care. The EPIC Superiority Randomized Clinical Trial investigated whether ultrasound guidance improves first-time PIVC success compared with standard palpation and visualization techniques in hospitalized children.Study Overview
This open-label, randomized trial was conducted at an Australian quaternary pediatric hospital between July 2021 and December 2022. ...

Reliable central venous access is critical for patients with haematological malignancies undergoing intensive treatment. However, the risk of complications and premature catheter removal remains high in this population. This multi-site cohort study aimed to evaluate the performance and complication rates of central venous access devices (CVADs) across four major hospitals in Melbourne, Australia.Study Overview
The study included 1,078 CVADs inserted in 673 adult patients between September 20...

Peripheral IV catheters (PIVCs) are sometimes used to deliver noradrenaline in emergency and ICU settings when central access is delayed. This study investigated the relationship between noradrenaline dose and phlebitis risk using a time-dependent model.Study Overview
Data from 1,351 ICU patients and 3,410 PIVCs across 22 Japanese hospitals was analyzed using a multilevel Cox regression model. The focus was to identify a safe dosage threshold for noradrenaline when administered through PIVCs...

Proper care of vascular access is critical to the success of long-term haemodialysis. This systematic review examined whether educational and behavioural interventions improve patients’ ability to manage their access and reduce complications.Study Overview
The review included seven studies involving 540 adult haemodialysis patients, evaluating the impact of nurse-led programs using videos, booklets, counselling, and demonstrations on self-care, confidence, and outcomes.Key FindingsMost stu...

The Australian Vascular Access Society (AVAS) invites you to the premier vascular access event of the year — the AVAS 2025 Scientific Meeting, taking place from Sunday 20 July to Tuesday 22 July 2025 at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach, New South Wales.Why Attend?This dynamic meeting will bring together a multidisciplinary community of doctors, nurses, scientists, and researchers dedicated to advancing vascular access care. Expect:Cutting-edge presentations on the latest devices, technolog...

Peripheral and central vascular access devices are vital in patient care, yet their impact on quality of life (QoL) remains underreported. This scoping review explored whether current tools effectively capture the patient experience.Study Overview
The review examined 21 studies that used various PROMs (patient-reported outcome measures) in patients with PIVCs, midlines, and PICCs. The aim was to determine whether these instruments accurately reflect device-related burdens.Key FindingsMost st...

Arterial catheters (ACs) are widely used in ICU settings, but their long-term outcomes and complications are not well understood. This study analyzed pooled data from four randomized controlled trials to better understand the infection risk and failure rates of ACs in critically ill adults.Study Overview
Data from 1,117 ICU patients was examined to assess arterial catheter-related complications, including infections and device failure. The focus was on understanding survival time, failure me...

Central venous access devices (CVADs) are essential for children undergoing cancer treatment, yet their care and maintenance practices differ widely around the world. A recent international cross-sectional survey of clinicians from 42 countries examined current CVAD management practices in pediatric oncology and compared approaches between high-income and middle-income countries.Study Overview
Conducted from May 2022 to December 2023, the survey gathered responses from 220 clinicians, with 1...

Umbilical vascular catheters (UVCs and UACs) are vital in neonatal intensive care, providing access for fluid, nutrition, and medication delivery. However, these catheters are also associated with a range of adverse events (AEs), including infection, thrombosis, and dislodgement. A recent study aimed to develop a clinical risk prediction model to better identify neonates at higher risk of complications from these catheters.Study Overview
Using retrospective data from a South Australian NICU ...