Catheter infection. A comparison of two catheter maintenance techniques.
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.
Snyder
R H
RH
Department of Surgery, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307-5001.
Archer
F J
FJ
Endy
T
T
Allen
T W
TW
Condon
B
B
Kaiser
J
J
Whatmore
D
D
Harrington
G
G
McDermott
C J
CJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors