Here, guest blogger from the UK, Maya Guerrero, RN, VACNS (@CNS_IVnurse) presents her recent experience playing a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in a Critical Care COVID19-positive patient in prone position, using ECG technology. What first was a "daunting idea" and a "scary thought process", planning the strategy I would take for the execution of my very first "PICC placement on a pronated-ventilated-patient" became what I would now consider a...

Getting to know AVATAR... This week, Vic from the Vascular Access Management Service discusses catheter-associated skin injury in paediatrics and offers tips for how paediatric nurses handle this common clinical issue.   Skin issues in children, a challenge for vascular access clinicians Hi, my name is Victoria. I'm a pediatric nurse working in access a common issue that our patient group seems to have is catheter Associated skinning pain and injury usually relat...

In this time of COVID-19, many nurses are upskilling to take care of critically ill patients. AVATAR recently collaborated with Continulus to create the following lecture ; In this session, Dr Gillian Ray-Barruel covers the following objectives: 1. Review possible complications during and following CVC insertion 2. Discuss principles of nursing management post-insertion: Flushing Safe blood sampling Medication and fluid administration Dressing changes 3. Describe t...

Now more than ever, many of us are caring for sick patients requiring source isolation for infectious (e.g. SARS-CoV2 [COVID-19]) or multi-resistant organisms (MRSA, VRE, etc). The last thing any patient needs is a bloodstream infection. For patients with an existing infection, a bloodstream infection can be particularly deadly. So, how do you make sure your vascular access devices (VAD) are functioning properly when you can't be in the patient's room at all times? Here are a fe...

We are seeking input and feedback from consumers with experience of a vascular access device to participate in a short survey about what vascular access information is important to them. This involves completing a short, online survey about vascular access variables proposed by our research team (e.g., "pain rating", "difficult venous access") and rating their importance according to the individual's own experience. https://prodsurvey.rcs.griffith.edu.au/prodls200/in...

Vessel Health and Preservation: The Right Approach for Vascular Access, edited by Dr Nancy Moureau, has just been released. This open-access book has been possible thanks to the generous contributions of 3M, Teleflex and Nancy Trick. The free access provision would not have happened without the support and generous offerings of these three and the assistance of the Association for Vascular Access Foundation. Many thanks to the donors and supporting associations of the Association ...

The Pint of Science Australia runs events to bring researchers across all fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine to share their recent discoveries with the local community. At the sold-out, Tuesday night event, Associate Professor Amanda Ullman presented her team's NHMRC-funded project on peripherally inserted central catheter innovation to reduce infection and clots (PICNIC trial).  Read more about it here. ...