title: Transparent and gauze dressings and their effect on infection rates of central venous catheters: a review of past and current literature.
abstract: Infection has been identified as a potentially life-threatening complication of central venous catheterization. The type of dressing applied to the catheter site has been suggested to influence the incidence of catheter-related infection. Although numerous research studies were conducted before 1990 and in the past 5 years to compare the effect of gauze and transparent dressing on the infection rate of central venous catheters, results are conflicting. This literature review analyzes some of those efforts.
authors.affiliation: St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages / Q000592:standards*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000451:nursing*; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*