title: Nationwide study on the use of intravascular catheters in internal medicine departments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of intravascular catheters (IVCs) in intensive care units (ICUs) has been well assessed in recent years. However, a high proportion of these devices are placed in patients outside the ICU, particularly in internal medicine departments (IMDs), where data on the quality of care are scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the use and management of IVCs in IMDs in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a point prevalence study of all adult inpatients on 47 IMDs from hospitals of different sizes on one day in June 2013. A local co-ordinator was appointed to assess patients and collect data from each site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 2080 adult patients hospitalized on the study day, 1703 (81.9%) had one or more IVCs (95.4% of which were peripheral devices). Infection was detected at the insertion site in 92 catheters (5.0%); 87 patients (5.2%) had signs of sepsis, but only one case was considered to be catheter-related. The local co-ordinators estimated that 19% of the catheters in place were no longer necessary. A daily record of the need for a catheter was available in only 40.6% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows clear opportunities for improvement regarding catheter use and care in Spanish IMDs. Strategies similar to those applied in ICUs should be implemented in IMDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, HGU Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: mariaguembe@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guembe
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Postoperative Care Unit, HGU Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias ‒ CIBERES (CB06/06/0058), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pérez-Granda
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Mataró, Barcelona, Spain; Study Group of Infections of the Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI), Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Capdevila
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Montepríncipe, Madrid, Spain; Study Group of Infections of the Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI), Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barberán
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, HGU Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pinilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, HGU Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martín-Rabadán
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, HGU Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Study Group of Infections of the Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI), Spain; CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias ‒ CIBERES (CB06/06/0058), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002404:Catheterization; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D062666:Vascular Access Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Catheter care and management; Internal medicine departments; Intravascular lines; Surveillance