Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia associated with peripherally inserted central catheters: the role of chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated sponge dressings

To the Editor: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) is an important health care-associated infection that is often related to indwelling vascular catheters.1 Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are increasing in popularity for providing long-term central access, enabling earlier hospital discharge and reducing inpatient costs.2 Despite increased use of PICCs, little has been published on the risks of PICC-associated SAB (PA-SAB). We sought to characterise the frequency of PA-SABs at our institution and analyse the effect of using a chlorhexi-dine gluconate-impregnated sponge (CHGIS) dressing on the PA-SAB rate.