Outline strategies you would incorporate to prevent central venous catheter related infection.
A number of different strategies should be considered. One approach to incorporate these follows:
Why? Confirm need for Central Venous Line (initial, and ongoing).
How? Pay attention to sterile insertion technique. Non occlusive dressing, transparent semipermeable dressing or dressing with topical disinfectant.
What? Use single lumen where possible; consider antibiotic impregnated line.
Where? Subclavian site preferentially over Internal Jugular or femoral; consider PICC lines
(peripherally inserted central catheters),
When remove? Daily site inspections, and consider early change.
Replace giving sets/lines regularly: blood and TPN giving sets 24hrly but other IV sets after 72 hrs
Twenty-two out of twenty-six candidates passed this question.
This is one of those topics an intensivist is expected to be the master of. It is no wonder that the majority of candidates received a passing grade for their answers.
A recent SHEA/ADSA guidelines document (2014) is available for leasurely perusal. It, however, is too massive and fibrous to digest in a short span of time.
However, our very own ANZICS statement on insertion and maintenance of CVCs is a more concise and more manageable document. The following list of points is derived from this document.
This is a point-form synopsis of CVC features and practices associated with a decreased risk of CVC infection:
Marschall, Jonas, et al. "Strategies to prevent central line–associated bloodstream infections in acute care hospitals: 2014 update." Strategies 35.7 (2014): 753-771.
ANZICS statement on prevention of central line associated infections
ANZICS statement on insertion and maintenance of CVCs
.LIFL have made as short a summary as one can manage without omitting vital facets of the overall strategy.