Infection rates and other dialysis events were highest among patients with a central venous catheter as compared to patients with other vascular access catheters, according to a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Researchers analyzed 2014 National Healthcare Safety Network Dialysis Event Surveillance data, which included data from 6,005 outpatient hemodialysis facilities. Dialysis facilities report three types of dialysis events — bloodstream infections; intravenous antimicrobial starts; and pus, redness or increased swelling at the hemodialysis vascular access site.
In all, the facilities reported 160,971 dialysis events, including 29,516 bloodstream infections, 149,722 intravenous antimicrobial starts, and 38,310 instances of pus, redness or increased swelling at the hemodialysis vascular access site.
Researchers found 63 percent of bloodstream infections and 69.8 percent of access-related bloodstream infections occurred in patients with a central venous catheter.
The rate of bloodstream infections per 100 patient-months was 2.16 for central venous catheter patients, compared to 0.26 for arteriovenous fistula and 0.39 for arteriovenous graft patients.