Assessment, patency, and management of occlusion of central venous catheters in ICU and hemodialysis patients in a Hospital in Badajoz, Spain: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Central venous catheters (CVCs) and other central venous access devices (CVADs) facilitate the administration of intravenous drugs, fluids, blood products, and parenteral nutrition in patients with chronic or critical illnesses. A lack of standardized practices had been identified in some countries, leading to the development and publication of guidelines.

Aim: This project aimed to improve CVAD care by promoting evidence-based practices in an intensive care unit and a hemodialysis unit in a hospital in Badajoz, Spain.

Methods: The study was based on the JBI approach to evidence implementation. A retrospective baseline audit was conducted before developing and implementing an evidence-based protocol for the assessment, patency, and management of occlusions in CVCs. The JBI Getting Research into Practice (GRiP) method was used to identify the factors underpinning gaps between evidence and everyday practice, as well as strategies to overcome them. A follow-up post-implementation audit was also conducted. The sample size was 34 patients.

Results: Improvements in compliance were found in four of the six audited criteria. The barriers identified during the implementation process were mostly addressed, contributing to the positive results.

Conclusions: This evidence implementation project resulted in the development of an evidence-based protocol on CVAD care in the selected units and can now be expanded to other settings. The project also improved the quality of nursing records and the maintenance of best practices.

Spanish abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A325.