title: Intravascular catheter-related infections: advances in diagnosis, prevention, and management.
abstract: Indwelling vascular catheters are a leading source of bloodstream infections in critically ill patients and cancer patients. Because clinical diagnostic criteria are either insensitive or non-specific, such infections are often overdiagnosed, resulting in unnecessary and wasteful removal of the catheter. Catheter-sparing diagnostic methods, such as differential quantitative blood cultures and time to positivity have emerged as reliable diagnostic techniques. Novel preventive strategies include cutaneous antisepsis, maximum sterile barrier, use of antimicrobial catheters, and antimicrobial catheter lock solution. Management of catheter-related bloodstream infections involves deciding on catheter removal, antimicrobial catheter lock solution, and the type and duration of systemic antimicrobial therapy. Such decisions depend on the identity of the organism causing the bloodstream infection, the clinical and radiographical manifestations suggesting a complicated course, the underlying condition of the host (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia), and the availability of other vascular access sites.
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. iraad@mdanderson.org
authors: Issam
authors: I
authors: Raad
authors: Hend
authors: H
authors: Hanna
authors: Dennis
authors: D
authors: Maki
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification*; D016469:Fungemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents