Point-of-care protocols and clinical decision support for vascular access professionals. Evidence-based guidance when you need it most.
Establishes standards for product evaluation, selection, inspection, problem reporting, and supply chain disruption management to ensure vascular access devices and infusion products meet the highest standards of safety, efficacy, and reliability.
Establishes standards for safe handling and disposal of regulated medical waste, sharps safety, needlestick injury prevention, use of safety-engineered devices, injury reporting, and patient and caregiver education for home infusion waste management.
Establishes standards for minimizing latex exposure, identifying at-risk patients and healthcare workers, managing allergic reactions, and ensuring latex-free care environments for latex-sensitive and latex-allergic individuals.
Establishes comprehensive standards for the safe handling, preparation, administration, and disposal of hazardous drugs across all care settings, including PPE requirements, engineering controls, environmental monitoring, spill management, and medical surveillance programs.
Establishes comprehensive standards for preventing, recognizing, and responding to controlled substance diversion in healthcare settings, including chain of custody requirements, waste management, detection methods, and recovery support for affected healthcare workers.
Establishes comprehensive standards for identifying, documenting, investigating, and learning from adverse events, serious adverse events, and near-miss incidents associated with vascular access devices and infusion therapy.
This article examines how elevated cortisol levels—the body's primary stress hormone—affect hospital staff's health and work performance. It explains that healthcare workers face unique stressors such as high-stakes patient care, excessive workloads, and lack of institutional support, which can lead to chronically elevated cortisol and subsequent health issues including anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, and cardiovascular problems. These effects ultimately reduce work efficiency and can compromise patient safety. The article reviews research on cortisol patterns in emergency care providers, discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, and offers strategies for managing cortisol levels through lifestyle modifications (exercise, sleep hygiene), stress management techniques (mindfulness, CBT), organizational changes (workload management, flexibility), and when necessary, medical interventions. It concludes by urging healthcare organizations to prioritize staff well-being through transparent, supportive management practices to maintain both employee health and quality patient care.
This comprehensive guide outlines evidence-based principles of vascular access and infusion therapy across the lifespan, including neonatal, pediatric, obstetric, and geriatric populations. It covers regulatory compliance, ethical practice, device selection, infusion accuracy, and population-specific risks such as DEHP exposure, DIVA management, pregnancy-related hypercoagulability, and geriatric polypharmacy. Designed for clinicians, nurses, and vascular access specialists, this resource supports safe, patient-centered decision-making aligned with current standards of care.
Defines the organizational requirements for the assessment, establishment, governance, financial management, and continuous improvement of a dedicated vascular access specialist service, including leadership structure, team nomenclature, budgetary processes, and interprofessional safety integration.
Establishes the organizational model for vascular access service delivery, defining the core service components, operational coverage requirements, consultative approach, and technology integration necessary for a comprehensive, holistic infusion therapy program across inpatient and outpatient settings.
Defines the regulatory hierarchy governing clinician scope of practice, establishes the framework for practice expansion and delegation of vascular access tasks, and delineates the professional roles and responsibilities of all personnel involved in infusion therapy.
Establishes the organizational framework for continuous quality improvement in vascular access services, including the adoption of validated QI methodologies, audit and feedback mechanisms, adverse event surveillance, medication safety integration, and the maintenance of a Just Culture environment.
Mandates comprehensive, health-literacy-appropriate patient and caregiver education for all vascular access and infusion therapy encounters, defines the required educational content, and establishes the teach-back and return demonstration standards for verification of learning.
Mandates the integration of vascular access expertise into cross-disciplinary institutional safety programs and establishes the standards for safe care transitions involving patients with indwelling vascular access devices across acute, community, home, and long-term care settings.
Establishes the legal, ethical, and procedural requirements for obtaining, documenting, and maintaining informed consent for vascular access procedures, including the components of the consent discussion, requirements for emergency situations, and provisions for patients who lack decision-making capacity.
Establishes the foundational principles governing the administration of infusion therapy and the management of vascular access devices across all specialized patient populations, including pediatric, neonatal, obstetric, and geriatric cohorts.
Mandates that all vascular access device selection, antiseptic agent selection, and infusion technology decisions be rooted in demonstrated clinical evidence and patient outcomes, and establishes the systematic clinical monitoring requirements for all vascular access devices.
Establishes the organizational commitment to evidence-based practice in vascular access, mandates the continuous revision of policies based on current research, defines the implementation science framework for translating evidence into bedside practice, and outlines the infrastructure requirements for supporting clinician-researchers.
Establishes the standards, requirements, and minimum data elements for clinical documentation of all vascular access events—from insertion through removal—in the electronic health record, including insertion documentation, ongoing assessment, medication administration, and the integration of EHR clinical decision support tools.
Establishes the standards, framework, and requirements for initial and ongoing competency assessment and validation for all clinicians performing vascular access and infusion therapy procedures, including educational delivery methods, simulation requirements, insertion training protocols, and program evaluation metrics.
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Establishes standards for the safe insertion of all vascular access devices, including peripheral intravenous catheters, central venous access devices, and arterial catheters, with requirements for aseptic technique, ultrasound guidance, and complication management.
Establishes supplementary infection prevention standards beyond standard precautions for patients with known or suspected communicable disease, including contact, droplet, and airborne precaution requirements, enhanced barrier precautions in long-term care, and crisis standards for pandemic response.
Why IntracavOS moved from cloud APIs to a fully isolated, self-hosted AI system: exploring the security philosophy behind closed-loop healthcare AI and the paranoid approach to patient data protection.
A candid critique of healthcare's resistance to innovation: why vascular access and clinical practice remain stuck in outdated patterns while real problems like CLABSIs persist.
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Comprehensive guide to preventing hemolysis during blood draws: understanding catheter-to-vein ratio (CVR), cavitation physics, and evidence-based techniques for optimal lab sample quality.
Establishes requirements for skin antisepsis and site preparation prior to vascular access device insertion, including antiseptic selection, application technique, and neonatal-specific precautions.
Evidence-based guidelines for the prevention, assessment, and management of catheter-associated skin injury (CASI) and medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI) in patients with peripheral and central vascular access devices, including risk assessment, dressing selection, atraumatic removal techniques, and management of established injury.
Evidence-based standards for subcutaneous infusion therapy including hypodermoclysis, subcutaneous medication administration, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, and on-body delivery systems across acute care, ambulatory, and home care settings.
Establishes standards for post-insertion care of all vascular access devices, including systematic assessment protocols, dressing selection and change intervals, skin antisepsis, site protection, infection prevention strategies, documentation requirements, and population-specific considerations.
Evidence-based guidelines for the assessment, prevention, and management of central vascular access device malposition, including primary and secondary malposition types, prevention through insertion technique, diagnostic evaluation, and management approaches including noninvasive and invasive repositioning.
Establishes requirements for evidence-based pain assessment and management during vascular access procedures across all patient populations, from neonates through adults.
Establishes standards for blood specimen collection from peripheral venipuncture, arterial puncture, peripheral intravenous catheters, central venous access devices, and intraosseous access devices, including patient identification, blood conservation, preanalytical error prevention, and blood culture collection requirements.
Evidence-based standards for the safe insertion, management, medication administration, and complication prevention of neuraxial access devices including epidural and intrathecal catheters, implanted neuraxial ports, and intrathecal drug delivery (ITDD) systems across acute care, outpatient, and home care settings.
Critical analysis of cortisol dysregulation in hospital staff and its impact on clinical performance, patient safety, and healthcare workforce wellbeing with evidence-based interventions.
Evidence-based standards for preventing air embolism during vascular access procedures, including CVAD removal protocols, recognition of signs and symptoms, and emergency response for suspected venous or arterial air embolism.
Establishes requirements for the appropriate selection, use, configuration, labeling, and replacement of primary and secondary administration sets for all infusion types, including standard solutions, parenteral nutrition, lipids, blood products, propofol, and hemodynamic monitoring systems.
Establishes standards for the application of Aseptic Non Touch Technique (ANTT®) across all invasive clinical procedures and vascular access device management, including risk assessment framework, aseptic field management, competency requirements, and environmental management.
Complete guide to maximizing Intracav AI effectiveness: best practices for prompting, query formulation, and leveraging AI assistance for vascular access clinical practice and research.
Comprehensive guide to clinical decision-making in vascular access: exploring interprofessional collaboration, evidence-based protocols, and patient-centered care strategies for optimal outcomes.
Evidence-based clinical guidelines for vascular access device removal: comprehensive protocols for PIVCs, midline catheters, and central lines to optimize patient safety and outcomes.
Comprehensive clinical guideline for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) management in vascular access: evidence-based protocols for assessment, prevention, and treatment strategies.
Evidence-based standards for preventing catheter damage, recognizing signs of compromise including pinch-off syndrome, and managing catheter damage through repair, exchange, or removal with post-procedure monitoring requirements.
Establishes comprehensive standards for hand hygiene practice across all care settings, including indications, approved techniques, product selection, fingernail and jewelry standards, and organizational compliance strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections.
Establishes requirements for vascular access device selection, technical standards, and maintenance protocols for patients undergoing therapeutic apheresis procedures.
Establishes requirements for the selection, use, configuration, disinfection, and replacement of add-on devices in vascular access infusion systems, including extension sets, manifolds, stopcocks, filters, and closed system transfer devices.
Establishes standards for protecting vascular access device insertion sites from dislodgement, patient manipulation, and environmental contamination, including joint stabilization practices and the judicious and restrained use of physical immobilization methods.
Evidence-based standards for identifying risk factors for catheter-associated thrombosis, preventing thrombotic complications through device selection and insertion technique, monitoring and diagnosing DVT, and managing confirmed thrombosis including anticoagulation therapy across diverse patient populations.
Establishes standards for flow-control device selection and use in infusion therapy, including electronic infusion pumps, smart pump dose error reduction systems, non-electronic devices, alarm management, and organizational standardization requirements.
Evidence-based standards for safe administration of infusion medications and solutions, covering verification requirements, clinical appropriateness review, technology integration including barcode scanning and smart pump use, vascular access patency assessment, first-dose protocols, and adverse event reporting.
Establishes standards for the access, maintenance, dressing, and patient education requirements for implanted vascular access ports, including noncoring needle selection, flushing protocols, power injection verification, and ongoing device surveillance.
Establishes requirements for in-line filtration of parenteral solutions, including mandatory filters for parenteral nutrition and intraspinal infusions, filter selection principles, population-specific indications, change intervals, safety precautions, and prohibited practices.
Evidence-based standards for safe compounding and preparation of parenteral solutions and medications, covering sterile technique, pharmacy-based preparation, vial and ampoule handling, labeling requirements, and competency requirements for all clinicians involved in medication preparation.
Evidence-based standards for safe preparation, handling, and administration of antineoplastic medications including prescribing authorization, occupational safety and PPE requirements, closed system drug transfer devices, spill management, vesicant administration, and adverse reaction protocols.
Standards for preventing, assessing, and managing vascular access device occlusion, including thrombotic and chemical causes, thrombolytic therapy, and catheter clearance agents.
Evidence-based standards for safe administration of biologic therapies including colony-stimulating factors, monoclonal antibodies, immunoglobulins, and gene therapies. Covers patient assessment, care setting selection, biosimilar considerations, REMS compliance, subcutaneous immunoglobulin administration, and adverse reaction management.
Establishes standards for umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) and umbilical venous catheter (UVC) indications, antisepsis, tip positioning, imaging confirmation, securement, complication surveillance, and removal in neonatal patients.
Establishes standards and requirements for flushing and locking all vascular access devices to maintain catheter patency, prevent occlusion, reduce catheter-associated bloodstream infection risk, and ensure safe medication delivery across all device types and patient populations.
Evidence-based standards for preventing, recognizing, and managing bloodstream infections associated with peripheral and central vascular access devices, including care bundles, diagnostic criteria, and device removal decisions.
Evidence-based standards for the clinical evaluation, insertion, management, complication monitoring, and removal of intraosseous vascular access devices across emergent and non-emergent clinical applications in adult and pediatric patients.
Establishes standards for the warming of blood products, intravenous fluids, and contrast media, including device requirements, temperature limits, prohibited methods, monitoring obligations, and quality assurance for all patient populations including neonates.
Establishes requirements for the securement of all vascular access devices to prevent complications associated with dislodgement and movement at the insertion site, including acceptable securement methods, device-specific guidance, and assessment standards.
Establishes baseline infection prevention standards applicable to all patient care activities regardless of diagnosis, including personal protective equipment selection and use, respiratory hygiene, equipment cleaning and disinfection, and care practices across transitional settings.
Establishes standards for hemodialysis vascular access device selection, vessel health and preservation, access hierarchy, infection prevention, hub care, AVF/AVG cannulation, catheter locking solutions, and patient education for patients receiving or anticipated to receive hemodialysis.
Evidence-based guidance for recognizing anatomical nerve injury risks during vascular access procedures, employing preventive strategies, and managing nerve-related complications.
Establishes standards for the selection and application of vascular visualization technology—including ultrasound, near-infrared, and visible light devices—to improve vascular access insertion success and reduce complications across all patient populations.
Establishes requirements for selection, disinfection, flushing and clamping sequences, replacement intervals, and infection prevention practices for all needleless connectors used on peripheral and central vascular access devices.
Standards of practice for the prevention, recognition, and management of infiltration and extravasation from peripheral and central vascular access devices, including antidote protocols.
Establishes evidence-based criteria for the selection and planning of vascular access devices across all device types and patient populations, from short peripheral catheters through central venous access devices and arterial catheters.
Evidence-based standards for the classification, prevention, assessment, and management of phlebitis associated with peripheral and central vascular access devices.
Establishes standards for central vascular access device tip location confirmation, including acceptable tip positions, real-time tip location methods, re-evaluation protocols, transfer criteria, and documentation requirements for all patient populations.