Vein Visualization Using Near Infrared (NIR) Vein Finder Technology in Nursing Care: A Review of the Benefits and Shortcomings

Background: Near-Infrared Vein Visualization devices allow for noninvasive identification of veins for multiple uses. This study reviews the benefits and shortcomings of the NIR technique in nursing care based on the literature review.Materials and Methods A systemic search of electronic databases Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science, EMBASE, CIVILICA, and Google Scholar search engine was performed with no time limit up to November ۲۰۲۱, using the related keywords alone or in combination.Results: The use of the NIR to assist intravenous cannulation in pediatric patients significantly reduced the time required for cannulation and the number of cannulation attempts. The results of one study showed the ability and effectiveness of the device in identifying the nature of the vein in real-time for the two studied locations (arm and dorsal hand sites). Another study concluded that wet heat treatment affects the palpation of veins in the experimental and control groups (p<۰.۰۱). The results of one study showed that peripheral IV cannulation is easy to use with guidance of ultrasonography and trans-illumination in pediatric patients with difficult venous access, resulting in a high overall success rate of cannulation, particularly for low vein visibility associated with Asian and African-American ethnicity or obesity. A study showed that the first-time insertion success (FTIS) rate was ۷۳%, with a sensitivity of ۷۴.۲۶%, specificity of ۵۷.۶۹%, and a positive predictive value of ۸۲.۸۷%.Conclusion: The NIR technology is useful in locating the vein for cannulation, providing venous access for blood sampling, therapy, and other medical purposes at a very low cost, for pediatric and elderly patients and others with difficult venous access.