Study: Midline catheters best for administering complex therapies

Complications were reduced when practitioners used midline catheters instead of long peripheral catheters for patients receiving complex or long-term therapies, a study of 269 patients found. Published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the prospective cohort study sought to explore how midline and long peripheral catheters differ in safety and reliability in daily clinical practice. The catheters were made by the same company and used the same material. The authors found that midline catheters showed an 85% reduction in the catheter failure risk. The authors said clinicians should reserve long peripheral catheters for patients requiring shorter therapeutic plans. (American Journal of Infection Control study, 6/27/24)