Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (1999) 43, 441-446
© 1999 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Leading article |
Role of antimicrobial central venous catheters for the prevention of associated infections
Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
Central venous catheters (CVCs) are being increasingly used, both in the hospital and in the community. Despite the considerable experience now gained in their use, they remain a major source of sepsis, accounting for over half of all bacteraemias and candidaemias. 1 The reported incidence of these infections is very variable, ranging from <1% to 18%2 with a frequency of bacteraemia of between <0.1 and 0.96 per 100 catheter days. 3 In England and Wales, >4000 patients with bacteraemias are notified to the CDSC per annum.4 In comparison, in the USA approximately 850,000 catheter-related infections occur annually and of these >50,000 are bacteraemias,5 most occurring in patients in intensive care units.1
Many approaches have been made to reduce the incidence of these infections.
5,6 These can be
broadly classified into either patient management or catheter development. The former include
improvements in skin antisepsis, care on insertion, non-occlusive permeable dressings and the
development of
References