A pediatric peripheral intravenous infiltration assessment tool.

Infiltration is a common complication of intravenous (IV) therapy. The use of adequate tools for IV assessment can identify infiltration in its early stages, thus reducing the potential for more serious complications. Assessment of IV devices in children needs to be performed using age- and size-appropriate tools that take into account children's smaller size and particular characteristics. It is also important to consider the size of an infiltration in relation to the affected extremity. This article discusses the development of a pediatric IV assessment tool as well as its psychometric properties.