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Score of Maki and Ringer for Phlebitis Associated with a Peripheral Vascular Catheter

Purpose: To evaluate a patient with a peripheral venous catheter for clinical evidence of phlebitis using the score of Maki and Ringer.

Description

Maki and Ringer used a simple score to identify phlebitis in patients with a peripheral venous catheter. The authors are from the University of Wisconsin.


Parameters:

(1) pain

(2) tenderness

(3) erythema

(4) purulence

(5) swelling

(6) palpable cord

 

Phlebitis was defines as the presence of >= 2 of these 6 parameters.

 

Parameter

Finding

Points

pain

absent

0

 

present

1

tenderness

absent

0

 

present

1

erythema

absent

0

 

mild

1

 

moderate to marked

2

purulence

absent

0

 

present

1

swelling

absent

0

 

mild

1

 

moderate to marked

2

palpable cord

absent

0

 

present

1

 

total severity score =

= SUM(points for all 6 parameters)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum score: 0

• maximum score: 8

• The higher the score the more severe the phlebitis.

• The breakpoint for severe phlebitis was defined as a score > 77th percentile for the population.

 

On page 847 the authors state that the maximum severity score is 9, but if you add the numbers above the maximum is 8. One option is to expand tenderness to 3-responses similar to erythema or swelling.


 


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10