ABSTRACT
Purpose@#Extravasation of diagnostic and therapeutic materials might occur when the intravascular solution leaks into the surrounding tissues. Injury associated with extravasation depends on various factors. It may range from mild skin reaction to severe necrosis. However, the incidence rate for extravasation is largely unknown because of the limited reporting in Korea. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the incidence of extravasation and nurses’ attitude and knowledge of extravasation for providing high-quality nursing care. @*Methods@#Three acute care hospitals were surveyed to estimate the occurrence of extravasation. Knowledge and attitude toward extravasation were investigated from 793 nurses working in six hospitals. @*Results@#The incidence rate of extravasation was 0.5%. Extravasation commonly occurred in elderly patients aged 66 or older (59.9%) and internal medicine (48.2%), and it happened 13.73±20.68 days after hospitalization on average.It mostly occurred in the forearm site (52.9%) and was mainly caused by parenteral nutrition (33.6%). The mean scores of nurses’ knowledge and attitude were 14.63±2.86 and 28.91±36.00, respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between the subjects' knowledge and attitude (r=-.11, p=.002). @*Conclusion@#It is necessary to have a reporting system that can accurately monitor the occurrence of extravasation for patient safety management. In addition, it is necessary to develop a protocol that can be applied to clinical practice and a nurse education program.
