How to improve central venous catheter use in intensive care unit?
Merrer J ; Lefrant JY ; Timsit JF Unité d’Hygiène et de Lutte contre les Infections Nosocomiales, Centre Hospitalier de Poissy/St-Germain-en-Laye, 10, rue du Champ-Gaillard, 78300 Poissy, France. jmerrer@chi-poissy-st-germain.fr OBJECTIVE: Central venous catheter (CVC) insertion is routinely performed in critically ill patients but causes mechanical, thrombotic, or infectious adverse events in 15% of cases. It should be possible to improve the benefit/risk ratio of central venous catheterization in intensive care unit. DATA SOURCE: We searched Pubmed using the terms: “catheterization, central venous, peripheral, adverse effects”; then “thrombosis, phlebitis, thrombophlebitis, jugular vein, femoral vein, subclavian vein, pneumothorax, haemothorax, extravasation of diagnostic and therapeutic materials”. We then discuss this with a panel of intensivists in a workshop. DATA SYNTHESIS: Few data are available on the risk/benefit ratio of central vs. peripheral venous catheterization. In some
