• A comparison of two antimicrobial-impregnated central venous catheters. Catheter Study Group

      Darouiche, Rabih O.; Raad, Issam I.; Heard, Stephen O.; Thornby, John I.; Wenker, Olivier C.; Gabrielli, Andrea; Berg, Johannes; Khardori, Nancy; Hanna, Hend; Hachem, Ray; et al. (1999-01-07)
      BACKGROUND: The use of central venous catheters impregnated with either minocycline and rifampin or chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine reduces the rates of catheter colonization and catheter-related bloodstream infection as compared with the use of unimpregnated catheters. We compared the rates of catheter colonization and catheter-related bloodstream infection associated with these two kinds of antiinfective catheters. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized clinical trial in 12 university-affiliated hospitals. High-risk adult patients in whom central venous catheters were expected to remain in place for three or more days were randomly assigned to undergo insertion of polyurethane, triple-lumen catheters impregnated with either minocycline and rifampin (on both the luminal and external surfaces) or chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine (on only the external surface). After their removal, the tips and subcutaneous segments of the catheters were cultured by both the roll-plate and the sonication methods. Peripheral-blood cultures were obtained if clinically indicated. RESULTS: Of 865 catheters inserted, 738 (85 percent) produced culture results that could be evaluated. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the risk factors for infection were similar in the two groups. Catheters impregnated with minocycline and rifampin were 1/3 as likely to be colonized as catheters impregnated with chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine (28 of 356 catheters [7.9 percent] vs. 87 of 382 [22.8 percent], P CONCLUSIONS: The use of central venous catheters impregnated with minocycline and rifampin is associated with a lower rate of infection than the use of catheters impregnated with chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine.
    • Anti-infective external coating of central venous catheters: a randomized, noninferiority trial comparing 5-fluorouracil with chlorhexidine/silver sulfadiazine in preventing catheter colonization

      Walz, J. Matthias; Avelar, Rui L.; Longtine, Karen J.; Carter, Kent L.; Mermel, Leonard A.; Heard, Stephen O.; 5-FU Catheter Study Group; Faris, Khaldoun; Hall, Wiley R.; Orquiola, Alan; et al. (2010-11-01)
      OBJECTIVE: The antimetabolite drug, 5-fluorouracil, inhibits microbial growth. Coating of central venous catheters with 5-fluorouracil may reduce the risk of catheter infection. Our objective was to compare the safety and efficacy of central venous catheters externally coated with 5-fluorouracil with those coated with chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine. DESIGN: Prospective, single-blind, randomized, active-controlled, multicentered, noninferiority trial. SETTING: Twenty-five US medical center intensive care units. PATIENTS: A total of 960 adult patients requiring central venous catheterization for up to 28 days. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive a central venous catheter externally coated with either 5-fluorouracil (n = 480) or chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine (n = 480). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary antimicrobial outcome was a dichotomous measure (/= 15 colony-forming units) for catheter colonization determined by the roll plate method. Secondary antimicrobial outcomes included local site infection and catheter-related bloodstream infection. Central venous catheters coated with 5-fluorouracil were noninferior to chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine coated central venous catheters with respect to the incidence of catheter colonization (2.9% vs. 5.3%, respectively). Local site infection occurred in 1.4% of the 5-fluorouracil group and 0.9% of the chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine group. No episode of catheter-related bloodstream infection occurred in the 5-fluorouracil group, whereas two episodes were noted in the chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine group. Only Gram-positive organisms were cultured from 5-fluorouracil catheters, whereas Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and Candida were cultured from the chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine central venous catheters. Adverse events were comparable between the two central venous catheter coatings. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that central venous catheters externally coated with 5-fluorouracil are a safe and effective alternative to catheters externally coated with chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine when used in critically ill patients.
    • Critical appraisal of: Koeman M, van der Ven AJ, Hak E, et al: Oral decontamination with chlorhexidine reduces the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006; 173:1348-1355

      Maher, Kelby G.; Bateman, Scot T. (2009-03-04)
      Objective: The objective of this article is to review the findings and discuss the implications of the effect of oral decontamination with chlorhexidine (CHX) or CHX/colistin on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) incidence and time to development of VAP. Design: This is a critical appraisal of the randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial: Koeman M, van der Ven AJ, Hak E, et al: Oral decontamination with chlorhexidine reduces the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006; 173:1348 –1355. Findings: This review finds that the study was adequately designed to examine the use of CHX in prevention of VAP. Patients were randomized and follow-up was complete. The results showed that the risk of early VAP (defined as within 48–96 hours) was reduced by 65% (hazards ratio 0.35, 95% confidence interval 0.16–0.79) for those treated with CHX and 55% (hazards ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.22– 0.93) for those treated with CHX/colistin compared with placebo. Intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, and lengths of ICU/ hospital stay were comparable for all three groups. Conclusions: It is unclear whether the use of CHX as an oral decontaminant will be applicable to the pediatric intensive care unit population because the study was performed on adults with multiple comorbidities. It appears that the benefits of using CHX to prevent VAP outweigh the risks. But since the duration of ventilation and lengths of ICU/hospital stay were equivalent in each of the three groups, the use of CHX does not seem to impact morbidity and mortality. (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2009; 10:242–245)
    • Guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections

      O'Grady, Naomi P.; Alexander, Mary; Burns, Lillian A.; Dellinger, E. Patchen; Garland, Jeffery S.; Heard, Stephen O.; Lipsett, Pamela A.; Masur, Henry; Mermel, Leonard A.; Pearson, Michele L.; et al. (2011-05-01)
      These guidelines have been developed for healthcare personnel who insert intravascular catheters and for persons responsible for surveillance and control of infections in hospital, outpatient, and home healthcare settings. This report was prepared by a working group comprising members from professional organizations representing the disciplines of critical care medicine, infectious diseases, healthcare infection control, surgery, anesthesiology, interventional radiology, pulmonary medicine, pediatric medicine, and nursing. The working group was led by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), Surgical Infection Society (SIS), American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), American Thoracic Society (ATS), American Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (ASCCA), Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), Infusion Nurses Society (INS), Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is intended to replace the Guideline for Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections published in 2002. These guidelines are intended to provide evidence-based recommendations for preventing intravascular catheter-related infections. Major areas of emphasis include 1) educating and training healthcare personnel who insert and maintain catheters; 2) using maximal sterile barrier precautions during central venous catheter insertion; 3) using a > 0.5% chlorhexidine skin preparation with alcohol for antisepsis; 4) avoiding routine replacement of central venous catheters as a strategy to prevent infection; and 5) using antiseptic/antibiotic impregnated short-term central venous catheters and chlorhexidine impregnated sponge dressings if the rate of infection is not decreasing despite adherence to other strategies (i.e, education and training, maximal sterile barrier precautions, and >0.5% chlorhexidine preparations with alcohol for skin antisepsis). These guidelines also emphasize performance improvement by implementing bundled strategies, and documenting and reporting rates of compliance with all components of the bundle as benchmarks for quality assurance and performance improvement.
    • Influence of triple-lumen central venous catheters coated with chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine on the incidence of catheter-related bacteremia

      Heard, Stephen O.; Wagle, Manisha; Vijayakumar, Elamana; McLean, Susan; Brueggemann, Angela; Napolitano, Lena M.; Edwards, L. Paul; O'Connell, Frank M.; Puyana, Juan Carlos; Doern, Gary V. (1998-01-12)
      OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of triple-lumen central venous catheters coated with a combination product of chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine (CSS) in reducing the incidence of local catheter infection and catheter-related bacteremia. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: The surgical intensive care units in a university hospital. PATIENTS: All patients who needed central venous catheterization were randomized to receive either an uncoated triple-lumen catheter (n = 157) or a catheter coated with CSS (n = 151). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Catheters were removed when no longer needed or suspected as a cause of infection. The tip and a 5-cm segment of the intradermal portion of the catheter were cultured semiquantitatively. Blood cultures were obtained when clinically indicated. The remaining segment of catheters coated with CSS were cut and incubated on an agar plate with strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus. Zone of inhibition was determined 24 hours later. Data were analyzed by survival and logistic multivariate regression methods. RESULTS: Catheters coated with CSS were effective in reducing the rate of significant bacterial growth on either the tip or intradermal segment (40%) compared with control catheters (52%; P = .04). However, there was no difference in the incidence of catheter-related bacteremia (3.8% [uncoated] vs 3.3% [coated]; P = .81). In vitro activity of catheters with CSS against S aureus was evident up to 25 days but activity against Enterococcus dissipated more quickly over time and was absent by day 4. The most common colonizing organisms were coagulase-negative staphylococcus and enterococcus. Variables that were associated with a significant amount of growth on the tip or intradermal segment were a duration of catheterization of longer than 7 days, jugular insertion site, and the absence of a CSS coating. The use of a guidewire when the catheter was removed was associated with a lower risk of significant bacterial growth. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CSS reduces the incidence of significant bacterial growth on either the tip or intradermal segments of coated triple-lumen catheters but has no effect on the incidence of catheter-related bacteremia. In this patient population, catheters coated with CSS provide no additional benefit over uncoated catheters.
    • The bundle "plus": the effect of a multidisciplinary team approach to eradicate central line-associated bloodstream infections

      Walz, J. Matthias; Ellison, Richard T. III; Mack, Deborah A.; Flaherty, Helen M.; McIlwaine, John K.; Whyte, Kathleen G.; Landry, Karen E.; Baker, Stephen P.; Heard, Stephen O. (2015-04-01)
      BACKGROUND: Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) have decreased significantly over the last decade. Further reductions in CLABSI rates should be possible. We describe a multidisciplinary approach to the reduction of CLABSIs. METHODS: This was an observational study of critically ill patients requiring central venous catheters in 8 intensive care units in a tertiary medical center. We implemented a catheter bundle that included hand hygiene, education of providers, chlorhexidine skin preparation, use of maximum barrier precautions, a dedicated line cart, checklist, avoidance of the femoral vein for catheter insertion, chlorhexidine-impregnated dressings, use of anti-infective catheters, and daily consideration of the need for the catheter. Additional measures included root cause analyses of all CLABSIs, creation of a best practice atlas for internal jugular catheters, and enhanced education on blood culture collection. Data were analyzed using the Poisson test and regression. RESULTS: CLABSI, catheter use, and microbiology were tracked from 2004 to 2012. There was a 92% reduction in CLABSIs (95% lower confidence limit: 67.4% reduction, P < 0.0001). Central venous catheter use decreased significantly from 2008 to 2012 (P = 0.032, -151 catheters per year, 95% confidence limits: -277 to -25), whereas peripherally inserted central catheter use increased (P = 0.005, 89 catheters per year, 95% confidence limits: 50 to 127). There was no apparent association between unit-specific Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation III/IV scores and CLABSI. Three units have not had a CLABSI in more than a year. The most common organism isolated was coagulase-negative staphylococcus. Since the implementation of minocycline/rifampin catheters, no cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus CLABSI have occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a standard catheter bundle combined with chlorhexidine dressings, minocycline/rifampin catheters, and other behavioral changes was associated with a sustained reduction in CLABSIs.