The effects of needleless connectors on catheter-related bloodstream infections

Needleless connectors, including the standard split septum and the luer-activated mechanical valve connectors, have been introduced into clinical practice to eliminate the risk of needlestick injuries by avoiding the use of needles when accessing the intravascular catheters. Negative and positive displacement mechanical valves have been associated with increased rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections as compared with split septum connectors. Based on available data, split septum connectors should be preferentially used instead of mechanical valves. Adequate disinfection by scrubbing the access port preferably with chlorhexidine is recommended to minimize the risk of catheter microbial contamination along with proper infection control practices. Large prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to evaluate further the possible causes and effects of different types of mechanical valve needleless connectors on bloodstream infections.     

Recurrent catheter-related bloodstream infections: Risk factors and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for recurrent catheter related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs). The study was undertaken at the University of Utah Hospital and involved patients who had a CR-BSI followed by catheter removal and reinsertion between January 1998 and February 2002. DESIGN: A retrospective chart review for the cohort study of catheters initially infected, which were then followed to study risk factors for a subsequent infection. Both central line and peripherally inserted central line catheters were included in the study. A recurrent CR-BSI was defined as positive blood cultures after three negative cultures, coupled with positive catheter tip culture or no other evident new source of infection. RESULTS: Twenty-five (34%) of 73 patients had a recurrent CR-BSI. The first CR-BSI occurred a mean of 20.4 days after catheter insertion whereas recurrence developed a mean of 12.1 days after reinsertion (p = 0.392). Coagulase-negative staphylococci (60%) were the most common cause of recurrent infection. The recurrence was more common among the patients who were given blood product transfusion (hazard ratio (HR) 2.3; confidence interval (CI) 1.02-5.67, p = 0.049). In 20 (27%) patients, catheters were changed over a guidewire. The guidewire catheter exchange was not found to be associated with an increased risk of recurrent infection (p = 0.582). CONCLUSION: Catheter replacement to a new site, instead of rewiring, was not shown to decrease the risk for recurrent infection. The transfusion of blood products was associated with an increased risk for recurrent infection.     

Role of echocardiography in uncomplicated Staphylococcus aureus catheter-related bloodstream infections

Uncomplicated bacteremia and catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) are frequently suggested as factors associated with low risk of infective endocarditis in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). Nevertheless, guidelines recommend that echocardiography in all patients with SAB. We evaluated the effects of echocardiography on patient outcomes. Patients with uncomplicated S. aureus CRBSI were retrospectively identified between January 2013 and June 2018 at a 1950-bed, tertiary-care university hospital. Treatment failure was defined as any case of relapse or all-cause death within 90 days. Of 890 SAB patients, 95 with uncomplicated S. aureus CRBSI were included. Thirty-two patients underwent echocardiography within 30 days of their first positive blood culture. Two patients who underwent echocardiography revealed right-sided infective endocarditis. One patient who did not undergo echocardiography experienced recurrent SAB (peripheral CRBSI) 85 days after his first positive blood culture. There were no SAB-related deaths. The Kaplan–Meier curves of treatment failure showed no significant differences between patients who did and did not undergo echocardiography (P = .77). In multivariable analysis, risk factors for treatment failure were liver cirrhosis (hazard ratio: 9.60; 95% confidence interval: 2.13–43.33; P = .003) and other prostheses (hazard ratio: 63.79; 95% confidence interval: 5.05–805.40; P = .001). This study did not verify the putative association between treatment failure and implementation of echocardiography in patients with uncomplicated S. aureus CRBSI. Given the low observed rates of adverse outcomes, routine echocardiography might not be obligatory and could be performed on an individual basis.     

Haemodialysis catheter-related bloodstream infections: current treatment options and strategies for prevention

Regardless of the repeated reservations raised by countless researchers with reference to the use of catheters as vascular access for haemodialysis (HD), central venous catheters (CVCs) remain irreplaceable tools of the modern dialysis delivery system as a reliable option for the clinical situations requiring instant access to circulation, for various reasons. Patients on long-term haemodialysis are therefore at a significantly high risk for catheterrelated bloodstream infections (CRBSI) and ensuing serious complications. Although early systemic antibiotic treatment should include the coverage for Staphylococcus aureus, the pathogen with most devastating consequences including bacterial endocarditis; optimal treatment of CRBSI while preserving the catheter site, remains contentious. Nonetheless, catheter exchange over a guide wire and antimicrobial-anticoagulant "locks" have shown promising results as novel access salvage techniques. Despite the fact that a number of novel potentially useful strategies for the prevention of CRBSI are in the pipeline; equally essential however, remains the role of rigorous implementation of standard infection control measures for hygiene and aseptic handling of CVCs in long-term HD patients. The policy of increasing the AVF (arteriovenous fistula) prevalence beyond 50% while minimising the use of CVCs, dependent largely upon the timely referrals and prudently implemented pre-ESRD program - ought to have a positive impact on long-term HD outcomes.     

Prospective surveillance study for risk factors of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections

OBJECTIVE: Risk factors of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI) caused by central venous catheter (CVC) use at a university hospital were evaluated. DESIGN: A prospective, observational, hospital-wide study was conducted. SETTING: The study was conducted at a university hospital with 1050 beds. METHODS: Nontunneled catheters were used, and double or triple lumen was observed. Catheters were cultured by semi-quantitative method, and blood cultures were performed if necessary. All epidemiologic and clinical data were recorded without intervention during the study. RESULTS: Over a 1-year period, the study assessed 389 CVCs inserted in 367 patients (mean age 50.9 +/- 18.1 years; 215 [58.6%] men, 152 [41.4%] women). Duration of catheterization was 12.0 +/- 9.9 days. CVCs were inserted into either the subclavian vein (N=263; 67.6%) or the jugular vein (N=128; 32.4%). In 250 episodes (64.3%), antibiotics were used concomitantly. CR-BSI was found in 43 of all CVCs (11.1%). The rate of CR-BSI per 1000 catheter-days was 9.21 for the whole cohort. In multivariable analysis, only renal failure (OR 4.83; CI 1.32-17.66; P=.017) was found to be a risk factor for CR-BSI. CONCLUSION: Renal failure was an independent risk factor for CR-BSI.     

Risk of catheter-related bloodstream infection with peripherally inserted central venous catheters used in hospitalized patients

BACKGROUND: Peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) are now widely used for intermediate and long-term access in current-day health care, especially in the inpatient setting, where they are increasingly supplanting conventional central venous catheters (CVCs) placed percutaneously into the internal jugular, subclavian, or femoral veins. Data on the risk of PICC-related bloodstream infection (BSI) with PICCs used in hospitalized patients are limited. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of PICC-related BSI in hospitalized patients. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study using data from two randomized trials assessing the efficacy of chlorhexidine-impregnated sponge dressing and chlorhexidine for cutaneous antisepsis. METHODS: PICCs inserted into the antecubital vein in two randomized trials during from 1998 to 2000 were prospectively studied; most patients were in an ICU. PICC-related BSI was confirmed in each case by demonstrating concordance between isolates colonizing the PICC at the time of removal and from blood cultures by restriction-fragment DNA subtyping. RESULTS: Overall, 115 patients had 251 PICCs placed. Mean duration of catheterization was 11.3 days (total, 2,832 PICC-days); 42% of the patients were in an ICU at some time, 62% had urinary catheters, and 49% had received mechanical ventilation. Six PICC-related BSIs were identified (2.4%), four with coagulase-negative staphylococcus, one with Staphylococcus aureus, and one with Klebsiella pneumoniae, a rate of 2.1 per 1,000 catheter-days. CONCLUSION: This prospective study shows that PICCs used in high-risk hospitalized patients are associated with a rate of catheter-related BSI similar to conventional CVCs placed in the internal jugular or subclavian veins (2 to 5 per 1,000 catheter-days), much higher than with PICCs used exclusively in the outpatient setting (approximately 0.4 per 1,000 catheter-days), and higher than with cuffed and tunneled Hickman-like CVCs (approximately 1 per 1,000 catheter-days). A randomized trial of PICCs and conventional CVCs in hospitalized patients requiring central access is needed. Our data raise the question of whether the growing trend in many hospital hematology and oncology services to switch from use of cuffed and tunneled CVCs to PICCs is justified, particularly since PICCs are more vulnerable to thrombosis and dislodgment, and are less useful for drawing blood specimens. Moreover, PICCs are not advisable in patients with renal failure and impending need for dialysis, in whom preservation of upper-extremity veins is needed for fistula or graft implantation.     

Diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infection

Catheter-related bloodstream infection is a potentially serious condition with a mortality rate of 12% to 25%. Catheter-related bacteremia is difficult to diagnose, and clinical manifestations of the condition have proved to be unspecific and often inconclusive. Microbiologic techniques to diagnose catheter-related bloodstream infection have been developed, some of which require catheter removal whereas others do not. Differential time to positivity has demonstrated marked accuracy and practicality as it allows the catheter to remain in place. Many other methods, such as skin or hub cultures, show less remarkable results, and some, such as intraluminal brushing, may produce adverse effects. Once a catheter-related bloodstream infection is diagnosed, it is classified as either complicated or uncomplicated and treated accordingly.     

Preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections: an executive summary of the APIC elimination guide

This article is an executive summary of the APIC Elimination Guide for catheter-related bloodstream infections. Infection preventionists are encouraged to obtain the original, full-length APIC Elimination Guide for more thorough coverage of catheter-related bloodstream infections prevention.     

Epidemiology of vascular catheter-related bloodstream infections in a large university hospital in Israel

Intravascular catheter-related infection and associated bacteraemia constitute a serious and increasing problem among nosocomial infections. As a part of an ongoing survey of positive blood cultures, all catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI) were reviewed in the authors' Medical Center in 1996, in order to evaluate the magnitude and seriousness of this problem. The largest group (28%) of hospital-acquired bacteraemia by 1 source of infection during 1996 was CR-BSI, identified in 110 patients with 126 episodes. The vascular line was central in 83 (66%), peripheral in 24 (19%), tunnelled in 18 (14%) and arterial in 1 (1%). Among the 83 central CR-BSI no sign of local inflammation was detected in 65%. Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria shared equal parts among the 145 blood isolates; Staphylococcus aureus was the most common species (43/145, 30%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (15/145, 10%); 11 (8%) isolates were Candida species. Fungal isolates were more common among tunnelled catheter infections than among others (6/18, 33% vs. 5/108, 5%, p < 0.001). Crude mortality was 35% (38/110), while attributable mortality was 14% (15/110), mostly associated with central line infection. Catheter-associated bacteraemias cause significant morbidity and mortality, and have become the most common source of hospital-acquired bacteraemia. There is a need to implement more effective infection-control measures and more advanced technologies in an effort to reduce this unacceptably high incidence.