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.
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- 1. Maki DG, Kluger DM, Crnich CJ. The risk of bloodstream infection in adults with different intravascular devices: a systematic review of 200 published prospective studies. Mayo Clin Proc 2006; 81: 1159-1171.
- 2. Chopra V, Flanders SA, Saint S. The problem with peripherally inserted central catheters. JAMA 2012; 308: 1527-1528.
- 3. Stuart RL, Cameron DRM, Scott C, et al. Peripheral intravenous catheter-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: more than 5 years of prospective data from two tertiary health services. Med J Aust 2013; 198: 551-553. <MJA full text>
- 4. Timsit J-F, Schwebel C, Bouadma L, et al. Chlorhexidine-impregnated sponges and less frequent dressing changes for prevention of catheter-related infections in critically ill adults: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2009; 301: 1231-1241.
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