Peripheral Intravenous Catheters are extensively used to give intravenous fluids, chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and other drugs

In medical terminology, a peripheral vena cava, peripheral vena cation, or peripheral end cord catheter is a small catheter placed into a peripheral artery for venous access for blood delivery to the heart. It is similar to a balloon catheter but instead of filling the artery, it distributes oxygenated blood from the heart to the body. A peripheral vena cation is used to treat patients with circulatory insufficiency, sickle cell disease, and heart failure. Furthermore, this procedure may be needed to access blocked areas on a patient's skin or to deliver extra medication if the heart is unable to pump enough blood.

The basic function of peripheral intravenous catheters is to allow the surgeon to access blocked areas of the skin or blood vessels during procedures in the operating room. In order to achieve successful surgery, the skin must be properly blocked and enough blood products must be allowed to travel through the blocked area. In order to accomplish this, several different types of pumps are available to help accomplish this goal. The first is called a 'pivotal pump'. This type of pump provides the best-performing performance.

A majority of hospitals utilize a different kind of pump called a 'point-prevalence audit'. This is performed using an ultrasound that can detect blockages along the lengths of the tubing, but it cannot determine which portions of the tubing are obstructing the flow. Therefore, this type of peripheral intravenous catheter is not as commonly used by hospital personnel. These catheters are used for the purpose of assisting the surgeon in achieving proper puncture and venipuncture while performing the procedure. This is important due to the fact that the placement of these catheters is extremely important for proper drainage. Peripheral catheters that are not properly secured can lead to possible complications, such as contamination, nausea and vomiting, blood clots, and even an accidental puncture. Recently, EchoNous received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its EchoNous Vein, an ultrasound-based tool designed for nurses to improve peripheral IV (PIV) catheter placements.