Effect of subcutaneous tunneling on internal jugular catheter-related sepsis in critically ill patients: a prospective randomized multicenter study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of catheter tunneling on internal jugular catheter-related sepsis in critically ill patients.


METHODS
A prospective randomized controlled study involving 3 intensive care units (ICUs), stratified by number of catheter lumina (1 or 2) and center.


METHODS
The 10-bed medical-surgical and 10-bed surgical ICUs at Saint Joseph Hospital and 8-bed surgical ICU at Clinique de la Défense, Paris, France.


METHODS
Every patient older than 18 years admitted to the ICUs between March 1, 1993, and July 17,1996, who required a jugular venous catheter for more than 48 hours.


METHODS
Random allocation to tunneled or nontunneled catheters.


METHODS
Times to occurrence of systemic catheter-related sepsis, catheter-related septicemia, or a quantitative catheter-tip culture with a cutoff of 103 colony-forming units per milliliter.


RESULTS
A total of 241 patients were randomized. Ten patients in whom jugular puncture was not achieved were subsequently excluded. The proportion of patients receiving mechanical ventilation (87%) and mean+/-SD age (65+/-4 years), Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (13.3+/-4.9), Organ System Failure score (1.5+/-1.0), and duration of catheterization (8.7+/-5.0 days) were similar in both groups. Taking into account the first 231 catheters (114 nontunneled [control], 117 tunneled), we found that tunnelization decreased catheter-related sepsis (odds ratio [OR], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.83; P=.02), catheter-related septicemia (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.07-0.81; P=.02), and, though not statistically significant, positive quantitative tip-culture rate (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.35-1.10; P=.10). These results were slightly modified after adjustment on parameters either imbalanced between both groups (duration of catheter placement and cancer at admission) or prognostic (insertion by a resident, use of antibiotics at catheter insertion, cancer, and sex).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of internal jugular catheter-related infections in critically ill patients can be reduced by using subcutaneous tunnelization.
Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Hôpital Saint Joseph, Paris, France.
J F
JF
Timsit
V
V
Sebille
J C
JC
Farkas
B
B
Misset
J B
JB
Martin
S
S
Chevret
J
J
Carlet
D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000382:microbiology; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007601:Jugular Veins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors