AVA CPG 2026 — Part 5: Glossary of Terms
Association for Vascular Access Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines (JAVA 2026, Vol. 31) — Part 5: Comprehensive glossary of vascular access terminology and definitions referenced throughout the guidelines.
AVA Clinical Practice Guidelines
The Association for Vascular Access (AVA) Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines, published in JAVA as the January 2026 supplement (Volume 31) — full indexed edition in five parts, with section-by-section scope, relationship to INS/CDC/SHEA-IDSA guidance, and citation format.
The AVA Clinical Practice Guidelines are evidence-based recommendations for adult vascular access care issued by the Association for Vascular Access (AVA) and published in the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA) as the January 2026 supplement, Volume 31. They span the full arc of vascular access practice — program infrastructure and vascular access teams, patient assessment and planning, device selection, insertion technique, ongoing assessment and complication management, and special patient populations — and each recommendation statement is paired with a summary of the supporting evidence.
This page is the complete index to the guidelines on this site. The full text is published here as a five-part edition preserving the original structure: the guideline development and review process, the foreword and introduction, all six clinical sections with their recommendation statements and DOI-linked references, and the closing glossary of terms.
What the AVA CPGs Are
AVA is the multidisciplinary professional society for vascular access specialists — nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, and technologists who insert and manage vascular access devices. The 2026 Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines are AVA’s formal recommendation set for adult practice, developed on top of two comprehensive systematic reviews conducted by a professional research librarian.
The publication is transparent about its own construction, and the front matter is part of the record worth reading:
- Funding. AVA and the AVA Foundation acknowledge grant support from Solventum and BD. Per the publication, this support was directed solely toward the systematic review process and did not influence guideline content, evidence appraisal, recommendation development, or editorial decision-making.
- Review process. The guidelines document their editors, author recognition and disclosures, contributors, and a defined guideline review process.
- AI disclosure. The front matter includes an explicit statement on the use of AI in the guideline’s development — unusual among clinical guidelines and a marker of the 2026 publication date.
The document is organized into six numbered sections, each broken into chapters with recommendation statements followed by summaries of evidence with graded citations:
| Section | Scope |
|---|---|
| 1. Infrastructure, Teams, & Clinical Foundations | Vascular access teams and roles, interprofessional rounding, infection prevention infrastructure, policies and protocols, education and competency, documentation, data collection, and products, bundles, and checklists |
| 2. Patient Assessment & Planning | Anatomical and physiological conditions; behavioral, psychosocial, and environmental factors; special considerations including DIVA, MARSI, catheter-related VTE, and CKD |
| 3. Vascular Access Device Selection | Device type overview, material and design, indications and contraindications, infusate characteristics, anticipated duration, emergent versus planned access |
| 4. Clinical Considerations for Insertion | Pre-insertion chart and imaging review, site selection, vessel preservation, positioning, pain management, vein visualization, tip navigation and confirmation, skin antisepsis and sterility, stabilization, and insertion complication management |
| 5. Ongoing Assessment, Care, & Complication Management | Post-insertion care and the identification and management of dwell-time complications |
| 6. Special Patient Populations | Population-specific considerations for adult vascular access |
The Five-Part Edition on This Site
The supplement is long — the five parts below reproduce it in reading order, each with its portion of the original text and its complete reference lists.
| Part | Title | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Guideline Development, Foreword & Introduction | The full table of contents; acknowledgments and funding disclosure; editors, author disclosures, contributors, and the guideline review process; the AI use disclosure; the foreword and introduction; and the opening of Section 1 (Infrastructure, Teams, & Clinical Foundations) and Section 2 (Patient Assessment & Planning) |
| Part 2 | Section 1 Continued — Products, Bundles & Checklists | Implementation considerations and barriers for standardized kits, insertion and maintenance bundles, and checklist design, including EHR integration; continues into Section 2 patient assessment chapters (anatomical and physiological conditions) |
| Part 3 | Sections 3–4 — Device Selection & Insertion | Device selection recommendations and the insertion chapters: site selection, catheter-to-vessel ratio, vessel preservation, positioning, pain management, vein visualization, ultrasound guidance, tip navigation and confirmation, skin antisepsis, and insertion complication management |
| Part 4 | Sections 5–6 — Maintenance, Complications & Special Populations | Ongoing assessment and care, complication identification and management during dwell, and special patient population considerations |
| Part 5 | Glossary of Terms | The complete glossary of vascular access terminology and definitions referenced throughout the guidelines |
How the AVA CPGs Relate to Other Standards
No single document governs vascular access practice; institutional policy is typically built from several complementary sources. Where the AVA CPGs sit among them:
- INS Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice — the Infusion Nurses Society’s standards span all of infusion therapy, written as practice standards rather than as a recommendation-plus-evidence-summary guideline. The AVA CPGs are narrower in domain (adult vascular access) and deeper on program infrastructure, team models, and insertion technique. The AVA CPGs cite the INS Standards within their own reference lists.
- CDC Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections — the CDC guidance is the regulatory backbone of CLABSI prevention programs in US hospitals. The AVA CPGs address infection prevention as one thread of a broader practice document covering assessment, selection, insertion, and maintenance.
- SHEA/IDSA Compendium (Strategies to Prevent CLABSI in Acute Care Hospitals) — the SHEA/IDSA practice recommendations are targeted specifically at bloodstream infection prevention strategy in acute care. The AVA CPGs are the practice-level companion: who inserts, how devices are selected and placed, and how they are maintained.
For a structured synthesis of all of these sources — INS, CDC, IDSA, SHEA/IDSA, MAGIC, Joint Commission, and CMS, alongside the AVA CPGs — see the Vascular Access Guidelines & CPGs hub.
How to Cite
Cite the original publication:
Association for Vascular Access. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Adults. Journal of the Association for Vascular Access. 2026;31(January Supplement).
When citing this indexed edition, use the canonical URL of the specific part page (for example, /vascular-access/guidelines/ava-clinical-practice-guidelines/jvad-article-p3/ for device selection and insertion) and prefer the page’s lastmod date. Individual recommendation statements within the parts carry their own numbered, DOI-linked references to the underlying primary literature.
Where to Go Next
The guidelines are the recommendation layer. For applied, procedure-level content on the same topics:
- Vascular Access Guidelines & CPGs — the parent hub synthesizing every major vascular access standard
- Vascular Access Devices Compared — side-by-side device selection reference (pairs with Section 3)
- Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Access — technique guide for the vein visualization and insertion chapters (pairs with Section 4)
- CLABSI Prevention: Evidence-Based Bundle Framework — program and bundle guidance (pairs with Sections 1 and 5)
- Catheter Complications: Recognition and Management — applied complication management (pairs with Section 5)
- Central Venous Catheters — device-level guides for CVCs, tunneled catheters, and ports
- Vascular Access Policies — institution-ready policy documents that operationalize these recommendations
- Vascular Access — the complete clinical reference — the department pillar
Frequently asked questions
What are the AVA Clinical Practice Guidelines?
The AVA Clinical Practice Guidelines are evidence-based recommendations for adult vascular access care issued by the Association for Vascular Access (AVA) and published in the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA) as the January 2026 supplement, Volume 31. They cover program infrastructure and vascular access teams, patient assessment, device selection, insertion, ongoing care and complication management, and special patient populations, with each recommendation supported by a graded summary of evidence.
How do the AVA CPGs differ from the INS Standards of Practice?
Both address vascular access and infusion therapy, but they come from different organizations with different framing. The INS Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice (Infusion Nurses Society) are written as practice standards spanning all of infusion therapy. The AVA CPGs are written as clinical practice guidelines — recommendation statements with summarized evidence — focused specifically on adult vascular access, from program infrastructure through device selection, insertion, and complication management. In practice the two are complementary, and the AVA CPGs cite the INS Standards within their own evidence base.
Are the AVA guidelines free to read?
The full text of the AVA Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines is available free on this site as an indexed five-part edition, with the original tables of contents, recommendation statements, evidence summaries, and complete DOI-linked reference lists. The original publication is the JAVA January 2026 supplement, Volume 31, published by the Association for Vascular Access.
What do the AVA CPG 2026 cover?
Six sections: (1) Infrastructure, Teams, and Clinical Foundations — vascular access teams, rounding, infection prevention infrastructure, policies, education and competency, documentation, data collection, and products, bundles, and checklists; (2) Patient Assessment and Planning, including DIVA, MARSI, catheter-related VTE, and CKD considerations; (3) Vascular Access Device Selection; (4) Clinical Considerations for Insertion, including site selection, vein visualization, tip navigation and confirmation, and skin antisepsis; (5) Ongoing Assessment, Care, and Complication Management; and (6) Special Patient Populations. A glossary of terms closes the set.
Who funded the AVA Clinical Practice Guidelines?
According to the publication itself, AVA and the AVA Foundation received grant support from Solventum and BD, directed solely toward the systematic review process — the work of a professional research librarian who conducted two comprehensive systematic reviews forming the evidentiary foundation. The publication states this support did not influence guideline content, evidence appraisal, recommendation development, or editorial decision-making.
How should I cite the AVA Clinical Practice Guidelines?
Cite the original publication: Association for Vascular Access. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Adults. Journal of the Association for Vascular Access. 2026;31(January Supplement). When citing this indexed edition, use the canonical URL of the specific part page and prefer the lastmod date.
AVA CPG 2026 — Part 4: Sections 5–6 (Maintenance, Complications & Special Populations)
Association for Vascular Access Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines (JAVA 2026, Vol. 31) — Part 4 covering Sections 5–6: Device Maintenance, Complication Identification & Management, and Special Patient Populations.
AVA CPG 2026 — Part 3: Sections 3–4 (Device Selection & Insertion)
Association for Vascular Access Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines (JAVA 2026, Vol. 31) — Part 3 covering Sections 3–4: Vascular Access Device Selection, Site Selection, and Insertion Techniques including ultrasound guidance.
AVA CPG 2026 — Part 2: Section 1 Continued (Products, Bundles & Checklists)
Association for Vascular Access Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines (JAVA 2026, Vol. 31) — Part 2 continuing Section 1 on implementation considerations, barriers, products, bundles, and checklists for vascular access infrastructure.
AVA CPG 2026 — Part 1: Guideline Development, Foreword & Introduction
Association for Vascular Access Adult Clinical Practice Guidelines (JAVA 2026, Vol. 31) — Part 1 covering guideline development, acknowledgments, foreword, introduction, and Sections 1–2: Infrastructure, Teams, Clinical Foundations, and Patient Assessment.