title: Hospital-wide survey of the adequacy in the number of vascular catheters and catheter lumens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Removal of unnecessary catheters has been proposed as an important measure to reduce catheter-related morbidity. Nevertheless, there is scarce information about the potential magnitude of such intervention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was aimed at analyzing the appropriateness of use of vascular catheters and catheter lumens in the inpatient setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The entire population of adult inpatients admitted to a 1368-bed tertiary-care hospital in a single day.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a set of preestablished criteria to evaluate the appropriateness of use of vascular catheters and catheter lumens according to the number and administration regimen of intravenous drugs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 834 patients, 575 (68.9%) had ≥1 vascular catheters in place on the day of the survey. The type and distribution of the 703 surveyed catheters were peripheral venous catheter, 80.6%; central venous catheter, 15.8%; and arterial catheter, 3.6%. We found an overall mean of 2.06 ± 0.82 lumens per catheter, with significant differences between intensive care units and conventional wards (P < 0.0001). Based on our criteria, 126 out of 575 patients (21.9%) had an inappropriate number of catheters (medical wards, 20.0%; surgical wards, 23.9%; intensive care units, 26.3%), and 631 out of 14248 nonarterial catheter lumens (43.6%) were considered unnecessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant room exists for improving the adequacy of the number of vascular catheters and catheter lumens as a potentially useful tool for decreasing the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection.
authors: Unit of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Research Hospital "12 de Octubre" (i+12), University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Fernández-Ruiz
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Carretero
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Díaz
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Fuentes
authors: José Ignacio
authors: JI
authors: González
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: García-Reyne
authors: José María
authors: JM
authors: Aguado
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: López-Medrano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000592:standards*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000592:standards*