What are the new guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), in cooperation with members from a variety of professional organizations representing a broad spectrum of healthcare practitioners, have recently published updated guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections. The number of intravascular catheters purchased by health care institutions annually runs in the millions. Although intravascular catheters are indispensable devices, they are associated with local and systemic infection risk. The incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) within healthcare institutions varies widely depending upon type of catheter used, frequency of manipulation, and patient-specific factors. However, it has been estimated that the average rate of central venous catheter-associated blood stream infections may be 5.3 per 1000 catheter days in the intensive care unit (ICU). In the U.S., approximately 15
