A new study from Rhode Island Hospital has found that more than one in 10 catheter-related bloodstream infections due to Staphylococcus aureus in hospitalized adults are caused by infected peripheral venous catheters, according to a hospital news release.
Researchers performed a point-prevalence survey and found that 76 percent of hospitalized adult patients had a PVC. They also found a greater-than-expected number of PVCs associated with staph bloodstream infections were: placed in the emergency department or an outside hospital, inserted in the antecubital fossa (the "elbow pit") and inserted for a longer period of time compared to uninfected PVCs.
Researchers concluded that hospitals should assess their risk of PVC-related infections and initiate interventions to mitigate risk, if such infections are found. They also suggest minimizing PVC placement in the antecubital fossa, removing catheters within 24 hours if they were placed under emergency conditions and replacing PVCs after a 72-hour dwell time to reduce risk of infection.
Read the hospital news release about infected peripheral venous catheters.
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Researchers performed a point-prevalence survey and found that 76 percent of hospitalized adult patients had a PVC. They also found a greater-than-expected number of PVCs associated with staph bloodstream infections were: placed in the emergency department or an outside hospital, inserted in the antecubital fossa (the "elbow pit") and inserted for a longer period of time compared to uninfected PVCs.
Researchers concluded that hospitals should assess their risk of PVC-related infections and initiate interventions to mitigate risk, if such infections are found. They also suggest minimizing PVC placement in the antecubital fossa, removing catheters within 24 hours if they were placed under emergency conditions and replacing PVCs after a 72-hour dwell time to reduce risk of infection.
Read the hospital news release about infected peripheral venous catheters.
Related Articles on Infection Control:
Patients Become Sick From Legionella Bacteria at Sacred Heart in Washington
Five Months Later, MU Health in Compliance With Federal Patient Safety Standards
Healthcare Experts Call for More Enforcement, Empowerment and Safety by Design