Intravenous Infiltration and Extravasations: Knowledge among Nurses in Pediatric Hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan

Abstract

Introduction: Infiltration and extravasation are complications of intravenous administration therapies
involving unintended leakage of solution into the surrounding tissue. Consequences range from local
irritation to amputation. The aim of the study is to study nurses’ knowledge about intravenous infiltration
and extravasation.
Method: Descriptive cross-sectional, hospital-based study. A study was conducted at four pediatric
hospitals in Khartoum state. 165 nurses were included using simple random sampling of different
working experiences. Data were collected by face-to-face interview questionnaire.
Results: Of participants 25.5% defined intravenous infiltration correctly, most participants 76.4%
had a poor level of knowledge about identification of infiltration, only 1.8% of participants knew the
term extravasation, and most nurses 78.2% had a poor level of knowledge that antibiotics causing
extravasation. There was statistically significant with qualification P-value < 0.001
Conclusion: The study concluded that nurses had a poor level of knowledge on intravenous infiltration
and extravasation. The study recommended education, guideline, and standards for intravenous therapy
should be adopted to ensure the best practices.