AVATAR State of the Art in Vascular Access Management Seminar

On March 6, 2017 around 100 dedicated clinicians attended the inaugural AVATAR State of the Art in Vascular Access Management seminar, held at Rydges Parramatta.  A key aim of the seminar was to present both the evidence and the art of vascular access care in relation to peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs); central venous access devices (CVADs) and paediatric vascular access. Attendees were a mixed bunch with vascular access clinicians being the largest group (32%), followed by critical care (18%), inpatient services (11%), cancer services (10%) and infection prevention (9%), with the balance made up of several other speciality groups.

The videos from this seminar are now available: 

Video 1: Prof Claire Rickard presents an overview of the AVATAR group's research focus and interests and Prof Marie Cooke provides an brief snapshot on Hierarchies of Research Evidence.

Video 2: Dr Evan Alexandrou and Prof Claire Rickard outline the State of the Art in relation to peripheral intravascular catheters (PIVCs) with Evan detailing "Right patient, right catheter" principles and Claire presenting the issues and evidence around post-insertion care.

Video 3: In this video, Dr Evan Alexandro and Kerrie Curtis present the evidence and gaps in strong evidence in relation to central lines.

Video 4: Dr Amanda Ullman and Tricia Kleidon summarise the evidence around insertion and post-insertion care in relation to paediatric vascular access.

AVATAR educational video on PIVC insertion, maintenance and removal

Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are the most commonly used vascular access device in health care with around 65% of hospitalized patients receiving PIVC therapy during their stay. The insertion of a PIVC is the most commonly performed invasive procedure in hospitalized patients. However, failure rates of PIVCs are high at around 40% before the completion of treatment this impacts significantly on patients, staff and the healthcare system. Failure can be a consequence of occlusion, dislodgement, infiltration/extravasation, phlebitis, or local/systemic infection. Prevention of these failures through evidence based practice is important, and as such AVATAR has developed, with an unrestricted grant from Baxter, this educational video on PIVC insertion, maintenance and removal that incorporates best practices based on current evidence. Reducing the complications and failure will provide patients with a better health care experience.

https://youtu.be/Z6Sr3Rk1k-8

Is your doctor choosing the right IV?

In this article that appeared in The Conversation, October 24, 2015, Dr Vineet Chopra and Dr Scott Flanders from the University of Michigan discuss which IV is right for which patient.

https://theconversation.com/is-your-doctor-choosing-the-right-iv-48199

IV Access Device Infection Risks webinar

This 20 minute webinar, produced by the Australian College of Infection Prevention and Control, is presented by Dr Gillian Ray-Barruel from the AVATAR Group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1ZxFaP8Ruo

Clincially indicated site rotation: How do we get there?

This is a presentation from AVA ASM 16 Sept 2015 at an AVAS/AVATAR seminar, given by Marcia Wise, recipient of the AVA 2015 Suzanne LaVere Herbst Award for Excellence in Vascular Assess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT9yAhGrwSg

It's MAGIC!

In these videos Dr. Vineet Chopra of the U-M Medical School, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation describes the newly published Michigan Appropriateness Guideline for Intravenous Catheters, or MAGIC -- a set of criteria for choosing the best and safest IV device for each patient based on research and expert consensus.

For consumers: http://umhealth.me/PICCvid
For clinicians: http://umhealth.me/piccvid2

Ultrasound-guided PIV placement

The following link provides access to a video in the New England Journal of Medicine on ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous placement.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMvcm1005951
(REF) Joing S, Strote S, Caroon L, Wall C, Jess K, Roline C et al Videos in clinical medicine. Ultrasound-guided peripheral i.v. placement. N Engl J Med 2012; 366(25):e38

Infection prevention and control

Tasmanian Government Department of Health and Human Services provide a resource in relation to infection prevention and control that includes:

• eLearning infection prevention and control series of short, self-directed educational videos provides basic infection prevention and control topics and principles
• Four short videos demonstrate how to put on and remove PPE safely when using standard and transmission based precautions.

Link: https://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/tasmanian_infection_prevention_and_control_unit