The Center for Disease have the di...

The Center for Disease have the direction of and Prevention (CDC) has issued evidence-based guidelines upon preventing intravascular catheter-related infections. The recommendations are available online at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5110a1.htm.

The incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections varies considerably at type of catheter used, oftenness of manipulation, and patient-related factors of the like kind as underlying disease and acuity of illness. Although the incidence of local or bloodstream infections associated with peripheral venous catheters usually is reasonable severe complications with considerable mortality have been associated with this representation of catheter because of the oftenness with which it is used. The majority of serious catheter-related infections are associated with central venous catheters, especially those that are placed in patients in intensive-care units.

The recommendations emphasize the following strategies:

* Educating and training health care professionals who insert and maintain catheters.

* Using sterile barrier precautions during catheter insertion.

* Using a 2 percent chlorhexidine preparation for skin antisepsis.

* Avoiding routine replacement of central venous catheters as a strategy to obstruct infection.

* Using antiseptic- or antibiotic-impregnated short-term central venous catheters if the infection rate remains high despite adherence to other strategies.

The recommendations also identify performance indicators that health care institutions and organizations can use to monitor their succes in implementing the recommendations.

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group