Carole Hallam has been in Florida at the Association of Vascular Access Conference... dodging snakes and alligators!.

She presented a paper on Vessel Health and Preservation and has now been asked to write a chapter in a new book on the subject for all healthcare professionals. There were 1200 delegates attending the event - the largest IV conference held in the USA. It was staged in a Disney Hotel in Orlando... where all guests were reminded about the danger of the local wildlife.

Carole and our consultant anaesthetist Tim Jackson are  the forefront of work nationally to improve how IV drugs are given to patients. Their work has been looking at alternatives to cannulae as they are not always the most suitable for some patients depending on the drugs, duration of treatment and the patient's condition.

Carole, who took mostly annual leave to attend, said: " We want to give our patients a better experience. Some drugs with a high PH are irritant on veins so a cannula is not always the best. There are alternative vascular access devices using larger veins such as central lines which for some patients are better. Although a cannula is a good choice for many patients we need to look at other ways especially when the veins in the lower arm and hands aren't good enough."