Peripheral intravenous cannulation: protecting patients and nurses.

Peripheral intravenous cannulation is a common clinical procedure in today's healthcare setting. There are a range of different devices to choose from, and this article will consider the risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections and needlestick injuries, national and international guidelines on infection prevention and safety in intravenous access, the need for closed catheters, features of the Introcan Safety® 3 (B. Braun Melsungen AG) and research into peripheral cannulas.