Selecting the appropriate vascular access device (VAD) is critical, especially in clinical scenarios involving difficult intravenous (IV) access and administration of high-risk medications. Clinical factors which may create challenges to evidence-based VAD selection and placement include inadequate expertise with difficult IV access patients, organizational environment and structure, and knowledge gaps regarding infusate characteristics that may increase the risk of complications. This session provides an overview of the risks and benefits of VAD options (peripheral and central), a review of decision support tools to guide infusate-based VAD selection (such as the INS 2024 Vesicant List and BD’s VADvisor™), and application of this information to selected case scenarios to illustrate how clinical judgment, updated guidelines, and technology can work together to improve vascular access outcomes.

Objectives:

• Identify risks and benefits of vascular access device options (central and peripheral)
• Identify infusate characteristics that increase the risk of patient injury
• Apply the use of evidence-based recommendations in VAD selection, infusate administration, and decision-making tools in a case scenario format to optimize patient safety