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This is a double - blind clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical nitroglycerin ointment on venous catheterization in patients referred to emergency ward of Baghiyatollah hospital in 1997.The units under investigation consisting of 70 patients, 40 women and 30 men ranging in age from 20 to 69.The samples were randomly assigned into two equal groups, 35 patients in case group and 35 patients in experimental group. The experimental group received 2% nitroglycerin ointment and the case group received the placebo ointment that was applied prior to venus catheterization on the skin of the dorsum of the hand, wrist or front part of forearm.To collect data, an observational checklist was used in which demographic characteristics, and efficacy and immunity of the ointment were recorded.The findings revealed that the vein diameter in case group was not increased after applying the ointment, while it was considerably increased in experimental group from 4 mm to 6.6 mm. Although the method of catheterization in two groups was the same, catheterization in case group was more difficult than experimental group. Using T.test, the findings revealed that there was statistically significant relationship between vein diameter before and after applying the ointment in experimental group and after applying it in case and experimental groups (PO.001). Moreover, tachycardia and hypotension was not observed in both groups during 15, 30, 45 minutes and one and two hours immediately after applying the ointment, however in both groups, a sort of mild headache was observed. The findings also showed that there was significant relationship in observing the vein after catheterization in two groups (P<0.2). However, before applying the ointment, there was significant relationship in observing the vein in the experimental group. Furthermore, after applying the ointment, arhythmia appeared, but it was not significant.The results showed that applying nitroglycerin ointment was a useful method in expanding the peripheral veins, therefore, it resulted in easy venous catheterization.

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Background & Aim: Peripherally intravenous catheters (PIVs) are an important part of therapy for hospitalized children. Although such catheters provide necessary vascular access, their use puts patients at risk for local and systemic infectious complications with serious morbidity. Migration of skin organisms at the insertion site into the coetaneous catheter tract with colonization of the catheter tip is the most common rout of infection for peripherally inserted catheters in adults but in children this is controversial. The objective of this study is to find any relationship between colonization and catheter-related consequences.

Methods & Materials: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 108 catheters of children and neonates hospitalized in NICU and infectious ward of Markaz Tebby Kodakan were cultured at a 2-month period. For all cases, a questionnaire of demographic characteristics and information about catheterization including location, dwell time, drugs and total parental nutrition was filled. The condition of catheterization for all cases was the same. Presence of only one colony was considered as positive colonization. Finally the data were analyzed by SPSS software.

Results: Excluding one case because of positive blood culture, from 107 catheters, 36 were colonized (33.6% of cases). Coagulate negative staphylococcus was the most common pathogen seen in 50% of total positive cases. Although there was a clinically significance between the dwell time of catheter and colonization but there was not any statistical significant association between colonization and any other variables including sex, age, hospitalization time, ward, location of catheter, dwell time, infusion of parental nutrition, and the administered drug.

Conclusion: This study is consistent with guidelines of CDC about avoiding unnecessarily routine replacement of catheters in neonates and children. As the risk of infection did not increase in association with dwell time of peripheral venous catheters, it seems it is better to leave catheters in place until there is a sign of local infection or infiltration.