Percutaneous central catheters and peripheral intravenous catheters have similar infection rates in very low birth weight infants.
OBJECTIVE
We performed this study to determine if percutaneous central lines (PCLs) were associated with infection more often than peripherally placed intravenous catheters (PIVs).


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective, cohort study of 53 infants with PCLs inserted from March 1993 to February 1995 for evidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection and 97 cohorts with PIVs who were matched to the infants with PCLs by admission date and birth weight. We considered an infant to have catheter-related bloodstream infection if bacteremia occurred while the PCL or PIV was in place with no other identifiable infection focus. Statistical analyses were performed by using either Student's t test or the Mann-Whitney U test where appropriate.


RESULTS
There were eight infections per 1000 catheter days of PCL use and nine infections per 1000 catheter days of PIV use.


CONCLUSIONS
PCLs do not become infected more often than PIVs.
Parellada
J A
JA
Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Moïse
A A
AA
Hegemier
S
S
Gest
A L
AL
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D012189:Retrospective Studies