Should peripheral IV sites be changed routinely? NO

Peripheral IV sites are changed routinely every 3 days in at least one of the hospitals where I practice. The results of the 2013 Update of a 2010 Cochrane review comparing clinically indicated change versus routine replacement of peripheral venoous catheter sites continue to challenge this practice. There was no  statistical difference in rates of suspected catheter-related bloodstream infections between the two methods of replacement. Neither was there a difference in phlebitis rates. In their conclusions, the authors recommend that peripheral venous sites be inspected every shift and changed only if there is one of the following signs: inflammation, infiltration or blockage.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23633346?dopt=Abstract