A comparison of intravascular pressure monitoring system contamination and patient bacteremia with use of 48- and 72-hour system change intervals.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of culture positivity in intravascular monitoring systems by comparing 48- versus 72-hour intervals for flush solution, stopcocks, and catheters on removal.


METHODS
Prospective, quasi-experimental, random assignment.


METHODS
Intensive care units of a midwestern university medical center and a community hospital.


METHODS
Seventy-six critically ill adult patients, ranging in age from 24 to 96 years (X = 61.6), requiring arterial or pulmonary artery catheters.


METHODS
Culture positivity of flush solution, stopcocks, or catheter tips.


METHODS
Data collection was initiated at designated change intervals of 48- or 72-hours; cultures were taken of flush solution and stopcocks; catheter tip cultures were obtained on catheter removal.


RESULTS
Chi-square analyses indicated that increasing the change interval to 72 hours resulted in no significant difference in culture positivity of catheter tips. However, the difference between the 48- and 72-hour groups in culture-positivity rates of stopcocks from arterial catheters was significant (1, N = 82) = 6.86, p less than 0.01.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that increasing the change interval to 72 hours did not increase the risk of catheter-associated infection or catheter-associated bacteremia. Chi-square analysis did not show an association between culture-positive stopcocks, the incidence of culture-positive catheter tips, entries into the system, or catheter-related bacteremia and a change interval that was increased to 72 hours. Thus, increasing the change interval to 72 hours does not increase the risk of infection.
McLane
C
C
Nursing Services, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, USA.
Morris
L
L
Holm
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D003422:Critical Care; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors