title: Contamination of central venous catheters: use of infusion-lines does not increase catheter-contamination.
abstract: In a prospective controlled trial we compared the rates of intraluminal contamination between the two lumens of a double-lumen central venous catheter. One lumen was used for repeat infusions and injections, and the other was permanently connected to a slow infusion of 0.9% NaCl. The study was designed so that the patient was his own control. Twenty-eight catheters were examined and comparison with catheter-tip cultures was performed in 24. Intraluminal culture was performed 67-77 h after insertion of the catheter and catheter-tip culture was performed on removal of the catheter. The contamination rate from catheter-tips was 20.8%, which is acceptable compared with other studies. There was only one positive intraluminal culture in each group (3.6%), and thus no correlation was found between contamination rate and the number of times the infusion-line had been interrupted for use. As for catheter-tip contamination, we found no correlation between infusion of blood-products or parenteral nutrition and contamination rates.
authors.affiliation: Arhus University Hospital, Department of Anaesthesia, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Egebo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steensen
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Jakobsen
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000451:nursing; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors