This guidance has been developed in conjunction with the most up to date evidence-base to support safe and effective peripheral IV cannulation (PVC) practise.
It covers the 6 main areas of IV cannulation of Insertion, Skin decontamination, Dressings, Flushing, Personal protective equipment and Sharps Safety.
You will also find the many references to back up this resource at the bottom of this page.
When inserting PVC the principles of Aseptic Non-Touch Technique (ANTT) must be adhered to:
Prior to PVC insertion, the intended site should be decontaminated with the appropriate antimicrobial solution using aseptic technique (Loveday et al., 2014, Nickel et al., 2024).
The skin at the insertion site should be decontaminated with chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol before inserting a PVC (NICE, 2017).
PVCs should be stabilised in a manner that does not interfere with assessment and monitoring of the access site, that does not impede delivery of the prescribed therapy, and that is acceptable to the patient (Nickel et al., 2024). Device stabilisation should be performed using an aseptic technique (Loveday et al., 2014).
A sterile transparent film dressing must be applied and maintained on PVCs (Loveday et al., 2014).
Transparent film dressings should be used to cover PVC insertion sites where possible (Loveday et al., 2014, NICE, 2017).
In some circumstances a sterile gauze dressing may have to be used; for example, if the patient has profuse perspiration or the insertion site is leaking or bleeding. In these instances the intravascular site should be checked regularly and the gauze dressing replaced as soon as possible with a transparent film dressing (Loveday et al., 2014, NICE, 2017)
Recommendations in the use of personal protective equipment, are in accordance with the following health and safety legislation:
The requirement to use safety devices is set out in the Health and Safety [Sharp Instruments in Healthcare] Regulations 2013 legislation.
The main legislation that govern the use and disposal of medical sharps including PVCs is The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 (legislation.gov.uk)
must not be bent or broken before disposal (however, it is acceptable to bend needles when they are part of an approved sharps safety device) must not be recapped.
In dentistry, if recapping or disassembly is unavoidable, a risk assessment must be undertaken and appropriate safety devices should be used (see the Health and Safety [Sharp Instruments in Healthcare] Regulations 2013)
The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 legislation
"5.—(1) An employer must ensure that—