Relation between age and difficult intravenous access among patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine Department

Abstract

Aim: Analysis of relation between Internal Medicine Department patients’ age and difficult intravenous access based on A-DIVA scale. Material and methods: Research was undertaken among 120 patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine Department of Szpital Czerniakowski sp. z o.o. hospital in Warsaw between May 10th, 2021 and May 19th, 2023. The Vascular Access and Infusion Team of the facility qualified patients for having indirect intravenous access by A-DIVA scale. The following statistical methods have been used to analyze nursing documentation of the research group: descriptive statistical analysis, frequency analysis, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: Research has proven significant correlation between increasing age and the increase in A-DIVA scale score. A-DIVA score is significantly lower among patients aged 18-60 than among patients over the age of 60. Along with increasing age the time of cannula keeping decreases significantly. Conclusions: The use of A-DIVA scale in everyday clinical practice needs to be popularized as it is useful tool on early hospitalization stage. Age should be implemented as additional A-DIVA scale parameter.