Intravascular (IV) catheter sepsis is a widely recognized complication
of IV therapy or monitoring, but little emphasis has been placed on t
he morbidity and cost associated with this infection. To assess the co
nsequences of IV catheter sepsis, we examined the medical records of 9
4 patients with 102 episodes of IV catheter sepsis due to percutaneous
ly inserted catheters. Major complications occurred in 33 (32%) of the
episodes and included septic shock (12 episodes), sustained sepsis (1
2), suppurative thrombophlebitis (7), metastatic infection (5), endoca
rditis (2), and arteritis (2). One patient died due to sepsis, and hos
pital stay was clearly prolonged in 15 episodes. The risk of major com
plications was highest in episodes of IV catheter sepsis caused by Can
dida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, or multiple patho
gens, and the most severe complications were usually caused by S. aure
us. The hospital cost of IV catheter sepsis was assessed by reviewing
medical and billing records to identify extra medical care and then mu
ltiplying charges for that care by the appropriate cost-to-charge rati
o. The average cost per episode, adjusted to 1991 dollars, was $3,707
for all episodes and $6,064 for episodes caused by S. aureus. The morb
idity and cost associated with IV catheter sepsis warrant substantial
efforts to minimize the incidence of this complication and especially
to prevent cases due to S aureus.