Central venous catheters: optimal patient care or convenience?

John R Gowardman,* Maria Brosnan,† Joy Whiting,‡ Peter Collignon§

2 Intensive Care Unit
3 Infectious Diseases Unit and Microbiology Department, The Canberra Hospital, PO Box 11, Woden, ACT 2607.

Correspondence: peter.collignon@act.gov.au

1. Mermel LA. Prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections. Ann Intern Med 2000; 132: 391-402.
2. Collignon P, on behalf of the Australian Study on Intravascular Catheter Associated Sepsis. Intravascular catheter associated sepsis; a common problem. Med J Aust 1994; 161: 374-378.
3. O'Grady NP, Alexander M, Dellinger EP, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Recomm Rep 2002; 9: 51(RR-10): 1-29. Available at: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5110a1.htm
4. Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. Australian injectable drugs handbook. 2nd ed. Melbourne: Yackandandah Press, 1999.
5. Raad II, Bodey GP. Infectious complications of indwelling vascular catheters. Clin Infect Dis 1992; 15: 197-210.

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