Comparing the Effectiveness of Aloe Vera Gel and 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Solution in Preventing Phlebitis Caused by Peripheral Vein Catheters in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND_: _Intravenous treatment is one of the most important medical treatments and the most common invasive methods.. Phlebitis is the most common complication caused by catheters. Among the medicinal and non-medicinal methods for treating phlebitis is the use of 2% chlorhexidine solution and aloe vera gel. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of aloe vera gel and 2% chlorhexidine gluconate solution in preventing phlebitis caused by peripheral vein catheters in hospitalized patients. METHODS: This study is a three-group clinical trial on 90 hospitalized patients who met the inclusion criteria and were randomly selected into three groups: aloe vera gel, 2% chlorhexidine solution, and the control group (30 people each). they got. Information was collected using demographic information form and phlebitis checklist. In the aloe vera gel intervention group, first the skin was disinfected with 70% ethyl alcohol, and after placing the angioket, it was fixed with glue, the upper part of which was covered with half a cc of aloe vera gel, and in the second group, the catheter was first placed with 70% ethyl alcohol. After placing the angioket with glue, its upper part was smeared with 2% chlorhexidine gel, and in the control group, only 70% ethyl alcohol disinfection catheter was inserted. The date, time and name of the researcher were recorded on the adhesive. Every 12 hours to 72 hours, the angioket insertion site in all three groups was controlled and recorded by the researcher in terms of the presence of symptoms and the degree of phlebitis. Data analysis was done with SPSS 25 statistical software at a significance level of 0.05 with chi-square tests and one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: Both supportive treatments of aloe vera gel and chlorhexidine solution are effective in reducing the incidence of phlebitis in the intervention groups, but the frequency of phlebitis in the aloe vera group was significant compared to the control. No significant difference was observed between the aloe vera gel group and the control group at 24 and 48 hours after the intervention (p<0.05), but a statistically significant difference was observed 72 hours after catheterization (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: A comparison of the effect of 2% chlorhexidine solution and aloe vera gel showed that the incidence of phlebitis in the long term in the aloe vera gel group was lower than in the control and chlorhexidine groups. Accordingly, nurses can use non-pharmaceutical methods, including aloe vera compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties, to reduce the incidence of phlebitis during catheterization.