Wearable Sensor Patch for Early Extravasation Detection

Intravenous (IV) cannulation is a routine procedure for hospital patients for drug or fluid administration. Successful delivery of drugs and fluids depends on the cannula remaining in the vein at all times. Extravasation is a complication of IV cannulation and refers to the accidental leakage of drugs or fluids from the vein to the surrounding tissues when the IV cannula moves out of the vein. The incidence of extravasation in neonates is up to 15%. Extravasation is frequently detected late when a large subcutaneous "bump" or swelling is noticed at the IV cannula site indicating a large amount of infused fluid has tissued. The severity depends on the volume/ type of drug extravasated and the time lapse before extravasation is detected. It is important to detect extravasation early to ensure that the drugs/ fluids administered will reach the patient's intravascular space otherwise it can jeopardize medical management and compromise patient care. In this work, we present a portable, practical and cost-effective sensor which can be universally applied to all patients to prevent the extravasations injuries.