Catheter infection: a comparison of two catheter maintenance techniques

• Published in: Annals of surgery Vol. 208; no. 5; pp. 651 - 653
• Main Authors: SNYDER, R. H, ARCHER, F. J, ENDY, T, ALLEN, T. W, CONDON, B, KAISER, J, WHATMORE, D, HARRINGTON, G, MCDERMOTT, C. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott 01.11.1988
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Bacterial Infections - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Catheterization - adverse effects; Catheterization, Central Venous - adverse effects; Catheterization, Peripheral - adverse effects; Catheters, Indwelling - adverse effects; Emergency and intensive care: techniques, logistics; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Medical sciences; Methods; Middle Aged; Perfusions. Catheterizations. Hyperbaric oxygenotherapy; Pneumothorax - etiology; Random Allocation; Time Factors; Human; Infection; Intensive care; Catheterization; Catheter; Resuscitation; Central vein
• ISSN: 0003-4932; 1528-1140
• DOI: 10.1097/00000658-198811000-00018

Incidence of catheter-related infections was studied using two techniques: changing catheters over a guide-wire or placing a new catheter at a new site every 3 days. Patients were randomized into two groups: Group 1 (new site) and Group 2 (guide-wire). Of the 105 catheterization sites (20 arterial and 85 central lines) in patients of Group 1, none were considered infected (i.e., having 15 or more colonies at the time of semi-quantitative microbiology analysis and clinical signs of infection at the catheter site). Of the 274 catheterization sites (56 arterial and 218 central) of patients of Group 2, eight (2.9%) were infected (chi 2 = 1.89, p greater than 0.05). Colonization (15 or more cultures without clinical signs of infection) occurred in three of 105 (2.9%) and in four of 274 (1.5%) of the catheterization sites of Groups 1 and 2, respectively (chi 2 = 0.23, p greater than 0.05). Study results indicate no significant difference in infection or colonization rates between the two methods of catheter replacement.