title: Do clinicians know which of their patients have central venous catheters?: a multicenter observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complications associated with central venous catheters (CVCs) increase over time. Although early removal of unnecessary CVCs is important to prevent complications, the extent to which clinicians are aware that their patients have a CVC is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess how often clinicians were unaware of the presence of triple-lumen catheters or peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in hospitalized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  3 academic medical centers in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitalized medical patients in intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  To ascertain awareness of CVCs, whether a PICC or triple-lumen catheter was present was determined; clinicians were then queried about device presence. Differences in device awareness among clinicians were assessed by chi-square tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  990 patients were evaluated, and 1881 clinician assessments were done. The overall prevalence of CVCs was 21.1% (n=209), of which 60.3% (126 of 209) were PICCs. A total of 21.2% (90 of 425) of clinicians interviewed were unaware of the presence of a CVC. Unawareness was greatest among patients with PICCs, where 25.1% (60 of 239) of clinicians were unaware of PICC presence. Teaching attendings and hospitalists were more frequently unaware of the presence of CVCs than interns and residents (25.8% and 30.5%, respectively, vs. 16.4%). Critical care physicians were more likely to be aware of CVC presence than general medicine physicians (12.6% vs. 26.2%; P=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awareness was determined at 1 point in time and was not linked to outcomes. Patient length of stay and indication for CVC were not recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians are frequently unaware of the presence of PICCs and triple-lumen catheters in hospitalized patients. Further study of mechanisms that ensure that clinicians are aware of these devices so that they may assess their necessity seems warranted.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None.
authors.forename: Vineet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: Sushant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Govindan
authors.forename: Latoya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ratz
authors.forename: Randy F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Sweis
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Melin
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tolan
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saint
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D001364:Awareness; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections; D062905:Central Venous Catheters; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D010564:Personnel, Hospital