Reduced Severity of Arterial Catheter-Associated Proximal Ischemic Injuries Through a Quality Improvement Initiative.

Objectives: To define and reduce the incidence of severe arterial catheter-associated proximal ischemic injuries (ACAPII).

Design: Quality improvement (QI) initiative.

Setting: University affiliated PICU in a quaternary children's hospital.

Patients: All patients with indwelling arterial catheters (ACs) in the PICU at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia from January 2020 to December 2022.

Interventions: Phase I (January 2021 to December 2021) included defining ACAPII and daily rounding on all ACs by a dedicated PICU-specific vascular access team. Phase II (January 2022 to December 2022) introduced standardized recommendations and interventions including the use of topical nitroglycerin ointment (TNG) as a therapeutic option for mild injuries.

Measurements and main results: From January 2021 to December 2022, the rounding team evaluated 1916 ACs for a total of 5793 rounding episodes (line-days). During phase I, the overall number of ACAPII increased compared with prior year pre-QI (35 vs. 11, 318%). During phase II, the administration of TNG was associated with an increase in arterial line-days per AC in patients with mild injury (6.58 line-days per line, 158 d/24 lines) compared with pre-QI, phase I, and phase II mild injuries without use of TNG (3.27, 198/61; incident rate difference [95% CI], 3.31 [2.11-4.51]; p < 0.001). Special cause indicators shifted centerline from a weighted average 33.0-342.3 line-days between severe injuries. The cumulative severe ACAPII incidence rate decreased from its peak early in phase I (April 2021: 5.65 per 1000 line-days) to the end of phase II (December 2022: 2.11 per 1000 line-days). The overall rate of arterial line-days per AC during phase II increased compared with pre-QI ( p < 0.01) and phase I ( p < 0.01).

Conclusions: The development of a newly defined measurable harm index, ACAPII, and implementation of increased surveillance resulted in increased awareness and reduction of severe injury as measured by rates and line-days between severe injuries in our critically ill patients. Protocolized management during phase II, including introducing TNG as a therapeutic option, resulted in increased AC line-days per catheter with sustained reduction in severe ACAPII rates.