P01 Safety of continuous IV antibiotic infusions via peripheral cannulas in home hospital settings - a retrospective 2 year audit

Sep 29, 2026

Retrospective audit using the Mater Hospital Brisbane Hospital in the Home database assessed safety of delivering continuous IV antibiotic infusions via peripheral intravenous cannulas (PIVCs) in the home setting. Patients admitted between April 2022 and April 2024 were filtered by vascular access device type and antibiotic prescribed. Of 126 patients receiving continuous therapy for a mean 3.24 days, 167 PIVCs provided 408 days of dwell time with no significant PIVC-related complications and 29 minor complications observed; results suggest safety and motivate prospective studies versus PICC.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Abstract citation ID: dlaf239.005

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Posters Posters Abstract citation ID: dlaf239.005 P01 Safety of continuous IV antibiotic infusions via peripheral cannulas in home hospital settings: a retrospective 2 year audit Mathew Sermanni1, Martin Hewitt1, Jared Eisemann1 1Hospital in the Home, Mater Hospital Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD, Australia Background: For select patient groups, IV antibiotic therapy at home is both safe and reduces cost/inpatient burden. Vascular Access Devices represent a signiﬁcant cost to healthcare systems. For Hospital in the Home (HITH) patients requiring short durations of IV Abx, PIVCs are cheaper and less invasive than PICCs. However, thereis a lack of evidence on safety outcomes of continuous antibiotic infusions delivered by PIVCs in HITH setting. Objectives: Retrospective analysis using the Mater Hospital Brisbane’s HITH database aimed to demonstrate that delivering continuous antibiotic infusions via PIVCs are safe in HITH settings, and to guide prospective study into safety outcomes/complication rates in this patient cohort. Methods: All patients admitted between April 2022–April 2024 were ﬁltered by both vascular access device type and antibiotic prescribed. Electronic scanned records of admission were reviewed for safety outcomes. Results: A total of 126 patients were identiﬁed who received continuous antibiotic therapy for a mean duration of 3.24 days. A total of 167 PIVCs were inserted into our patient cohort, for a combined total of 408 days of PIVC dwell time. There were no signiﬁcant PIVC-related complications (thrombophlebitis, blood stream infection, readmission due to PIVC-related treatment failure) and 29 minor PIVC-related complications (occlusion/inﬁltration, dislodgement, discomfort, phlebitis) . Conclusions: Continuous antibiotic infusions via PIVC in HITH settings appear to be safe. We observed an approximate 17% PIVC failure rate in our cohort, with no signiﬁcant PIVC-related complications. Published literature suggests overall PIVC failure rate lies between 35-50% . Future study into safety outcomes of HITH patients who receive continuous antibiotic infusions via PIVC (versus PICC?) is warranted.

FAQs

What was the purpose of this retrospective audit?

To demonstrate that continuous antibiotic infusions delivered via PIVCs are safe in Hospital in the Home settings and to inform a prospective study on safety outcomes and complication rates.

How were patients selected in the study?

All patients admitted between April 2022 and April 2024 were filtered by vascular access device type and the antibiotic prescribed, using electronic scanned admission records reviewed for safety outcomes.

What did the results show about complications and safety?

The audit identified 126 patients and 167 PIVCs with 408 days of dwell time. There were no significant PIVC-related complications, while 29 minor PIVC-related complications were reported.

Sep 29, 2026

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