Intravascular catheter infection during 10,000 days of risk

Objective

To analyze central venous and artery catheterization-related infections in critical care.

Methods

It is a prospective study in a 20-bed medical surgical ICU. We included 500 patients, who had some catheter during 24 hours or more, admitted from 1 May 2000.

Results

The study finised on 26 February 2001. Included were 500 patients (58.20%). Mean age was 56.48 ± 17.60 years, APACHE II was 13.30 ± 5.24. Mortality was 15.80%. Patient distribution was: 47.4% cardiac surgery, 8% cardiologic, 6% respiratory, 4.6% digestive, 12% neurologic, 11% traumathology, 3.4% intoxication, 7.2% sepsis and 0.4% others. The number of central venous catheters and the length of stay (days) were: global 882 and 6226, peripheral access 182 and 1186, jugular 382 and 2258, subclavian 237 and 2118, femoral 81 and 664. Central venous catheter-related infections and bloodstream infections secondary to central venous catheter per 1000 days of catheterization were: general 4.81 and 1.44, peripheral access 2.52 and 0.84, jugular 6.20 and 0.88, subclavia 1.88 and 1.41, femoral 13.55 and 4.51. The number of artery catheters and the length of stay (days) were: global 675 and 3925, radial 578 and 3149, femoral 69 and 595, pedia 17 and 128, humeral 11 and 53. Artery catheter-related infections and bloodstream infections secondary to artery catheter per 1000 days of catheterization were: general 1.01 and 0.25, radial 0.95 and 0.31, femoral 1.68 and 0, pedia 0, humeral 0.

Conclusions

There were more intravascular catheter infections in central venous catheters and in femoral localization.