Masumeh Saeidi Medical Education Bulletin 2783-1809 2 2 2021 06 01 Vein Visualization Using Near Infrared (NIR) Vein Finder Technology in Nursing Care: A Review of the Benefits and Shortcomings 213 220 141801 10.22034/meb.2021.319981.1042 EN Saeb Fadhil Al-Saadi Medical-Surgical Nursing, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran AND MSN, Al-Shaheed Al-Sader General Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. 0000-0002-3815-9952 Hossein Karimi Moonaghi Professor, Nursing, and Midwifery Care Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran AND Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 0000-0003-0496-2306 Sadeq Al-Fayyadh Associate Professor, Chair of Adult Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. Mahmoud Bakhshi Assistant Professor, Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Journal Article 2021 12 15 <strong><em>Background: </em></strong>Near-Infrared Vein Visualization devices allow for noninvasive identification of veins for multiple uses. This study reviews the benefits and shortcomings of<strong> </strong>the<strong> </strong>NIR technique in nursing care based on the literature review.<br /><strong><em>Materials and Methods</em></strong> 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 2021, using the related keywords alone or in combination.<br /><strong><em>Results: </em></strong>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<strong> </strong>(arm and dorsal hand sites).<strong> </strong>Another study concluded that wet heat treatment affects the palpation of veins in the experimental and control groups (p<0.01). 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 73%, with a sensitivity of 74.26%, specificity of 57.69%, and a positive predictive value of 82.87%.<br /><strong><em>Conclusion: </em></strong>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. https://www.medicaleducation-bulletin.ir/article_141801_7ba4b940430d83b7c8338b85bd23e8cf.pdf