Evaluation of an antiseptic triple-lumen catheter in an intensive care unit

Objective: To evaluate a decrease in catheter-related bloodstream infection rate in patients with antiseptic triple-lumen catheters in an intensive ca re unit. Data Sources: Retrospective review of surveillance records, patient medical records, laboratory and microbiological reports, and antibiotic administra tion records. Study Selection: Patients admitted to the intensive care unit with triple-l umen catheters, Data Extraction: A subset of one entry per patient was extracted from 2 yrs of primary bloodstream infection surveillance data. Data collection includ ed risk factors, laboratory and microbiological data, and insertion sites a nd dates of all intravascular catheters present during triple-lumen cathete rization, Data Synthesis: The catheter-related bloodstream infection rate was 5.4 and 11.3 per 1000 catheter days in antiseptic and nonantiseptic triple-lumen c atheter groups, respectively (p = ,06). By multivariate analysis using a co x Proportional Hazards Model, the antiseptic triple-lumen catheters were as sociated with a significant reduction in catheter-related bloodstream infec tion (p = .03). Model expansion to include intrajugular site was significan t by a likelihood ratio test [2(log likelihood diff) = 4.26 P < .05 chi(1)( 2)] Conclusions: The use of antiseptic triple-lumen catheters may substantially reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections in an intensive care popula tion and may be subsequently associated with a decrease in length of stay.