Midline catheters – what could be done better? A retrospective evaluation of clinical registry

Midline catheters (MCs) are an option for vascular access alongside the commonly used short peripheral intravenous catheters, centrally and peripherally inserted central catheters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the solution implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in a centre where MC access had not been used before. It was an observational retrospective evaluation of the 98 medical registries of adult patients. The mean time from hospital admission to midline catheter insertion was 15 days. The most common indications for the catheter implementation were: difficult intravenous access (83%) and expected time hospital stay >6 days (17%). The mean dwell time of the catheters was 9 days. The most common reasons for removal were: the end of intravenous therapy (44%) and catheter blockages (36%). A high level of prematurely removed catheters was observed, despite the existence of a hospital protocol. The high percentage of MCs removed before the end of intravenous therapy may be indicative of the poor quality of care and the need for continuous education of medical staff. The results obtained should be confi rmed in a prospective study planned on their basis in order to identify interventions which are necessary to improve the quality of vascular access care.