Cannulation - Child Nursing

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Please ensure that you have completed the sharps safety page in conjunction with this page, click to complete here

Read the illustrated guide to cannulation on ClinicalSkills.net here:

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Cannulation in Children

Cannulation in Infants

Here is an example of the VIP (Visual Infusion Phlebitis) Scoring Tool which may be used to monitor the health of the cannula site:

VIP Score .docx

The table below shows the different cannula sizes available (gauge, diameter and length), related standardised colour coding and approximate flow rates through each cannula in ml/min and ml/hr:

Doc1.docx

Watch

Note the use of a pre-filled flush syringe here. In many Trusts these will not be available, and you will instead have to draw up 10ml sodium chloride into a syringe.

Note that not all Trusts will use a pre-primed extension line. Some Trusts may simply use a bung to close the cannula such as the SmartSite needle-free valve that can be seen here.

Check your Knowledge!

Click on the button below to navigate to the 'Take a Test' area of ClinicalSkills.net. Please make sure you're logged into ClinicalSkills.net already, otherwise you may not be able to open and take the test. Once you have reached the 'Take a Test' area, select 'Local Tests' and then click on the test called 'Intravenous Cannulation - child' to begin. You will need to score 80% or more to pass. Make sure you've read the ClinicalSkills.net procedure thoroughly before taking the test as many of the answers will be found within there!

Intravenous Cannulation - child

For further practice and development, you might also want to try the additional test below, which focuses on how to care for, use and maintain the health of the cannula and surrounding site. On the Dashboard click on ‘Take a test’ and then select ‘Local tests’. Then click on the test called 'Intravenous Therapy: Care and Use of IV Cannula - SHU'.

Intravenous Therapy: Care and Use of IV Cannula - SHU

Procedural Checklists

Here you can open the step by step virtual checklist, which you can use on a smartphone or tablet:

Alternatively, you may wish to use the paper version of this (and print if required), which you can open here:

Cannulation Interactive Checklist

Cannulation Printable Checklist

Other Materials

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2017) Healthcare-associated infections: prevention and control in primary and community care. Clinical Guideline 139. London, UK: NICE.

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG139

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). (2018) The Code. Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives. London, UK: NMC.

https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/nmc-code.pdf

RCN restrictive physical intervention and the clinical holding of children and young people Guidance

https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/publications/pub-007746

RCN sharps safety Guidance

https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/publications/pub-004135

Royal College of Nursing (RCN). (2016) Standards for infusion therapy (4th edition). London, UK: RCN.

https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/publications/pub-005704

Date reviewed: November 2022

Next review: November 2023

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