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Chronic Central Venous Catheterization News
U.S. Hospitals Halve Catheter Infection Rates: Review
Posted 21 Nov 2016 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 21, 2016 – U.S. hospitals have cut in half the number of potentially deadly bloodstream infections linked to so-called central-line catheters since 2008. But, too many critically ill patients are still exposed to dangerous bacteria, a new review from Consumer Reports contends. Central-line catheters deliver medication, nutrients and fluids to a patient through one intravenous line (IV). While often lifesaving, these lines can also harbor germs when not handled properly, and then transmit those germs directly into the bloodstream of a patient, the Consumer Reports researchers said. Once the bacteria have a foothold in the body, they can spread quickly and widely, and cause organ failure. And some of these bacteria are particularly virulent because they are resistant to antibiotics. Among the most dangerous: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). To gauge how ... Read more
Related support groups: Infections, Bacterial Infection, IV Catheter Clot, Chronic Central Venous Catheterization
Placing Large Catheter in Vein Under Collarbone Best, Study Finds
Posted 23 Sep 2015 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2015 – For patients in intensive care units who need a catheter so they can receive medications easily, one placed in the vein under the collarbone appears to lower the risk of bloodstream infections and clots, a new study finds. The researchers reported that it lowered those risks by two to three times when compared to catheters placed in the large vein in the groin or in the jugular vein in the neck. "There has been an ongoing controversy about where to place these large catheters that would have the least risk of life-threatening infections," said senior researcher Dr. Leonard Mermel, from Lifespan in Providence, R.I. These infections are usually caused by bacteria on the skin that cling to the catheter as it is inserted and find their way into the bloodstream, he explained. In this setting, a catheter is a long tube that is inserted into the body so medicines ... Read more
Related support groups: Infections, IV Catheter Clot, Chronic Central Venous Catheterization
Drug-Coated Sponges May Limit Catheter Infections
Posted 24 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 24 – Adding a sponge soaked in an antibacterial agent to the dressing around the spot where a catheter is inserted appears to reduce the chances that a potentially deadly infection will develop, French researchers report. People in intensive care units (ICUs) usually require insertion of a central venous catheter. In the United States, about 80,000 catheter-related infections occur each year among ICU patients, including those caused by MRSA bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). The death rate from these infections can be as high as 11.5 percent, the researchers reported in the study. "This is an important study," said Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City, who was not involved in the research. "The specific use of disinfectant in this way is important in preventing ... Read more
Related support groups: Chronic Central Venous Catheterization
