Prevention of peripheral intravenous catheter-related bloodstream infections: the need for routine replacement

Collignon, Peter J; Kimber, Fiona J; Beckingham, Wendy D; Roberts, Jan L

doi:10.5694/mja13.10735

Topics

To the Editor: Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) frequently cause Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, and a disproportionate number of episodes involve catheters that have been left in place for ≥ 4 days or have been inserted in emergencies.1 Other studies have shown similar results with catheters left in place for > 48 hours or not routinely replaced after emergency placements.2-4

Infectious Diseases Unit and Microbiology Department, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT.

Correspondence: Peter.collignon@act.gov.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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