Cannulation is easier in warm hands

Local warming of the hands makes it easier to insert peripheral venous cannulas. On p 409 Lenhardt and colleagues report a trial of a carbon fibre warming mitt in which 140 patients were randomised to either passive insulation or active warming. Active warming with the mitt reduced both the time and the number of attempts required to achieve successful cannulation. Local warming, the authors say, may decrease the time staff spend inserting cannulas, reduce supply costs, and improve patients' satisfaction.


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Relevant Article

Local warming and insertion of peripheral venous cannulas: single blinded prospective randomised controlled trial and single blinded randomised crossover trial
Rainer Lenhardt, Tanja Seybold, Oliver Kimberger, Brigitte Stoiser, and Daniel I Sessler
BMJ 2002 325: 409. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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