Effectiveness of a protocol for the prevention of hemodialysis venous catheter-related infections

Cornacchiari, Marina
Heidempergher, Marco
Stasi, Antonia
Baroli, Ambrogio
Bertoncini, Lucio
Turri, Corrado
Bellotti, Nicoletta
Guastoni, Carlo

¹Nephrology Unit, Magenta Hospital, Magenta - Italy
²Nephrology Unit, Legnano Hospital, Legnano - Italy

Financial support: No financial support was provided for this study.

Meeting presentation: An abstract of this study was presented at the 51st National Congress SIN, 6-9 October, 2010, Rimini, Italy.

Conflict of interest: None of the authors has any proprietary interest in the products used in this study.

Address for correspondence: Marina Cornacchiari, MD Reparto di Nefrologia e Dialisi Ospedale G. Fornaroli Via Donatore di Sangue 51 20013 Magenta, Italy [email protected]

The Journal of Vascular Access 12(4):p 313-317, October-November-December 2011. | DOI: 10.5301/JVA.2011.7737

ABSTRACT

Purpose:

Infections are a major complication of the use of hemodialysis central venous catheters. In our study we evaluated the efficacy of the hemodialysis central venous catheter protocol management adopted in our center, through a retrospective analysis of all hemodialysis central venous catheters inserted over a period of 6 years.

Methods:

Seventy-three tunneled central venous catheters and 75 temporary central venous catheters were inserted in our center from 2003 to 2008 in 148 patients.

Results:

During the follow-up we observed 30 infective events (16 assessed as bacteremias, 14 subcutaneous tunnel or exit site infections) with a rate of 0.65/1,000 days of central venous catheter implantation.

Conclusions:

Our experience confirms, in a 72-month follow-up, the importance of careful central venous catheter management as a crucial feature in reducing the incidence of infective events in patients with central venous catheters in dialytic treatment.