The "Nursing2007 Infection Control Survey Report" (June 2007)* was a great article, but I'd like to clarify one point. Discussing a question about how often peripheral I.V. catheters should be replaced, the authors reported that 6% of the respondents incorrectly answered "once a week or as needed." (The correct answer for adults, based on Infusion Nurses Society guidelines, was "every 72 hours or as needed.") In the discussion, the authors didn't acknowledge that once a week could be correct for pediatric patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that a child's peripheral I.V. catheters be left in place until I.V. therapy is completed, unless a complication such as phlebitis or infiltration occurs.

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LINDA HARRINGTON, RN, CNS, CPHQ, PHD

Dallas, Tex.

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