Septic discitis and other complications of peripheral venous cannulation

Sir, We read with interest the recent report of a case of multi‐level septic discitis with olecranon bursitis following infection at the site of intravenous cannulation.1 Two years ago, we had a similar case which led us to consider whether peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) are as harmless as generally believed. Here we briefly present a case of an infected PVC resulting in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and metastatic septic arthritis, psoas abscess and septic discitis. We then outline the results of a survey we performed to look at the complications secondary to PVC use in a district hospital. A 53‐year‐old man, with a history of ischaemic heart disease, presented with chest pain, and had a PVC inserted. On day 6 of his admission, he became unwell with fevers, and was noted to have cellulitis at the …