For years, clinicians have relied on routine visual inspections and manual assessments to identify peripheral IV infiltrations and extravasations. While these assessments remain essential, they also leave inevitable periods between checks allowing complications to develop unnoticed.
Now, the National Infusion and Vascular Access Society (NIVAS) has taken a significant step forward.
With the release of the first edition of the 2026 NIVAS Standards for Infusion Therapy and Vascular Access, the organization has established one of the most comprehensive evidence-based frameworks for IV therapy practice available today. Developed by multidisciplinary experts from across the United Kingdom, the standards are designed to support healthcare professionals delivering IV therapy in any clinical setting while promoting safer, more standardized care.
A New Era of IV Therapy Safety
What makes these standards particularly noteworthy is their commitment to embracing innovation when evidence supports improved patient care.
Throughout the document, NIVAS emphasizes education, vessel health and preservation, standardized practice, complication prevention, patient safety, and the use of technology to improve outcomes. The standards encourage healthcare organizations to adopt evidence-based approaches that reduce avoidable harm while supporting clinicians in delivering the safest possible care.
One recommendation stands out as a significant advancement in the evolution of infusion therapy.
Continuous Infusion Site Surveillance Is Now Recognized as Best Practice
Within Section 26 – Infusion Medical Devices, NIVAS introduces Standard 26.2, stating:
“The use of infusion site surveillance technology should be considered to prevent infiltration extravasation injuries.”
This is an important milestone.
Rather than relying solely on intermittent observation, the standards acknowledge that technology can provide an additional layer of patient safety by continuously monitoring the infusion site and helping clinicians identify potential complications earlier.
Why Early Detection Matters
Peripheral IV infiltrations and extravasations remain among the most common complications associated with intravenous therapy. When not identified promptly, they can progress from mild swelling to significant tissue injury, treatment delays, additional procedures, and increased healthcare costs.
Recognizing this risk, the NIVAS standards reinforce that healthcare organizations should have protocols in place to prevent and manage infiltration and extravasation injuries while ensuring clinicians are educated on recognizing these complications.
Continuous monitoring represents the next evolution in this safety strategy.
Instead of waiting until the next scheduled site assessment, clinicians can be alerted to changes at the infusion site while the infusion is still underway, allowing for earlier clinical evaluation and intervention.
A Reflection of Years of Clinical Experience
These recommendations did not emerge overnight.
The NIVAS standards were developed through an extensive review of current published evidence and, where evidence remains limited, informed by expert consensus from leading vascular access and infusion therapy specialists across the United Kingdom.
Their inclusion of infusion site surveillance technology reflects not only the growing body of clinical evidence but also the real-world experiences of clinicians dedicated to reducing IV-related harm.
It represents a broader shift in healthcare—from reacting to complications after they become clinically apparent to proactively identifying potential problems sooner through continuous assessment and evidence-based technology.
Supporting the Future of Safer IV Therapy
At ivWatch, we are encouraged to see respected clinical organizations such as NIVAS continue advancing standards that prioritize patient safety and innovation.
Our mission has always been to support clinicians with continuous peripheral IV site monitoring technology that complements—not replaces—routine nursing assessment. By providing clinicians with an early alert to changes at the IV site that may indicate infiltration or extravasation, continuous monitoring can provide valuable additional real time assessment of the patient enabling them to take appropriate clinical actions.
As healthcare continues to embrace technologies that improve patient safety, the 2026 NIVAS Standards mark an important step toward the future of IV therapy.
Learn more about the new NIVAS standards here.