Infusion Nurses Society Adds Vascular Access Safety Devices Such as the Orchid SRV to Standard of Care Guidelines

Nursing Society Decision Highlights the Importance of Improved Safety in Vascular Access to Advancing Front-line Patient Care

Linear Health Sciences, a medical device company that has developed a proprietary, breakaway safety valve platform, today announced that the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) has updated its standard of care to encompass devices designed to reduce the risk of vascular access device (VAD) dislodgement, including the Orchid SRV tension-activated breakaway safety release valve.

The latest INS guidelines make products used to reduce the risk of VAD dislodgement due to the pulling/tugging of the administration set part of the standard of care, based on studies^1,2,3,4,5 showing that inadvertent VAD dislodgement is a clinically important problem for patients with VADs. The guidelines also flag pediatric patients and those with cognitive issues such as delirium or dementia as being at increased risk for IV dislodgement.

The Orchid SRV is a sterile, single-use connector for needle-free access that makes return to treatment fast, simple, and clean, and improves both the patient and clinician experience. Clinical simulation testing of 360 Orchid SRVs showed that the device prevented IV dislodgement by 91.9 percent across all test groups. The device is placed between the existing IV extension set and general IV tubing connection intended to be used for delivery of fluids to and from an IV catheter.

“Dislodgment of IV catheters is one of the most prevalent but least addressed issues in vascular care,” said Nancy L. Moureau, RN, PhD, BSN, CRNI, CPUI, VA-BC. “These new guidelines are a crucial development for increasing awareness about IV dislodgment in the field, and for helping reduce its negative impact on workflows, hospital costs, and patient care.”

According to a study published in J-AVA, 95 percent of 1,561 U.S. clinicians surveyed agreed that IV dislodgement continues to pose safety risks for patients and hospitals. Of the 342 million peripheral IVs deployed in the U.S. each year⁶, up to 10 percent may dislodge⁷, costing more than $2 billion annually⁸. Dislodgement is most frequently caused by patient confusion or removal of the catheter, loose dressing or tape, or tubing becoming tangled in bed linens.

“The INS decision is a critical step toward establishing vascular access safety devices, such as the Orchid SRV, as the gold standard of IV care, demonstrating the great clinical need for reducing IV dislodgement – particularly for pediatric patients and those with cognitive impairment,” said Dan Clark, co-founder and CEO of Linear Health Sciences. “The decision is also an important validation of the entire product category.”

The Orchid SRV has received an Innovative Technology contract from Vizient, Inc., the nation’s largest member-driven healthcare performance improvement company, recently awarded a national group purchasing agreement for the IV Therapy - Needleless Connectors category with Premier, Inc., and received a Federal Supply Schedule with VA/Dept. of Defense access from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

About Linear Health Sciences

Linear Health Sciences is a medical device company that has developed a proprietary, breakaway safety valve technology designed to improve the use of medical tubing in hospitals. The platform technology was developed to increase the safety and satisfaction of patients, caregivers, and healthcare facilities, while dramatically reducing costs. The company’s initial products include the Orchid SRV for use in IV catheter therapy and the Orchid SRV Type D device for use in surgical/wound, nephrostomy and abscess drainage. For more information, visit linearsciences.com.

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¹ Balmforth JE, Thomas AN. Unplanned removal of medical devices in critical care units in North West England between 2011 and 2016. Am J Crit Care. 2019;28(3):213-221. doi:10.4037/ajcc2019961

² Galazzi A, Adamini I, Consonni D, et al. Accidental removal of devices in intensive care unit: an eight-year observational study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2019;54:34-38. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j. iccn.2019.06.002

³ Indarwati F, Mathew S, Munday J, Keogh S. Incidence of peripheral intravenous catheter failure and complications in paediatric patients: systematic review and meta analysis. Int J Nurs Stud. 2020;102:103488. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103488

⁴ Moureau N. Impact and safety associated with accidental dislodge- ment of vascular access devices: a survey of professions, settings, and devices. J Assoc Vasc Access. 2018;23(4):203-215. doi:10.1016/j. java.2018.07.002

⁵ Sapko MT. PICC lines-waterproofing & securement on neonates. Neonatal Intensive Care. 2020;33(1):38-39.

⁶ iData research report

⁷ "The Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Journey: A Prospective Cohort Study of 1000 Patients." Podium presentation

⁸ Helm, et al. “Accepted but unacceptable: peripheral IV catheter failure” J Infus Nurs May-Jun 2015;38(3):189-203. doi: 10.1097/NAN.0000000000000100

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