Final inline filtration: a means of decreasing the incidence of infusion phlebitis.

Infusion phlebitis is the most common complication of intravenous therapy. Six methods of reducing the incidence of infusion phlebitis including inline final filtration, buffers, heparin, hydrocortisone, heparin-hydrocortisone combinations, and frequent set changes were tested in a two part randomized prospective double-blind study of 266 surgical patients. Patients who received filtered fluids had a significantly decreased incidence of infusion phlebitis as compared with that of controls (P = 0.0000001). Of the other methods tested, only the heparin-hydrocortisone combinations achieved any significant decrease in phlebitis (P less than 0.5). Therefore, inline filtration is a highly effective means of decreasing the incidence of infusion phlebitis and should be considered as a routine part of intravenous therapy.