Moving away from Kayexalate, sodium polystyrene sulfate.

Peripheral venous catheterization is a frequently required basic procedure in hospital care. However, scientific consideration of the keys for successful catheterization has been inadequate. According to previous reports, the general success rate of peripheral venous catheterization is 74% to 88% [1]. Two nonrandomized controlled trials have implied that the larger the veins are, the easier they are to be cannulated [2,3]. There is an observation study conducted in prehospital emergency settings, which revealed that larger gauge use among 16, 18, and 20 gauge (G) is related significantly with higher success rates [4]. But this relation seemed attributed to selection bias: larger catheters are chosen for larger blood vessels,which have higher likelihood of successful cannulation. Another observation study found no significant difference in success rates among 18-, 20-, and 22-G catheters used by nurses [5]. A randomized controlled trial of 14and 16-G catheter use bymilitarymedical cadets found no difference in success rates [6].