Unnecessary use of central venous catheters: the need to look outside the intensive care unit.
We developed criteria for justifiable CVC use and evaluated CVC use in a public hospital. Unjustified CVC-days were more common for non-ICU patients compared with ICU patients. Also, insertion-site dressings were less likely to be intact on non-ICU patients. Interventions to reduce CVC-associated bloodstream infections should include non-ICU patients.
Trick
William E
WE
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Vernon
Michael O
MO
Welbel
Sharon F
SF
Wisniewski
Mary F
MF
Jernigan
John A
JA
Weinstein
Robert A
RA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000592:standards*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000592:standards; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures