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. 2012 Mar-Apr;32(2):169-73.
doi: 10.5144/0256-4947.2012.169.

Peripherally inserted central catheter bloodstream infection surveillance rates in an acute care setting in Saudi Arabia

Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq  1 , Mahmoud S Abed, Ziad A Memish
Affiliations

Peripherally inserted central catheter bloodstream infection surveillance rates in an acute care setting in Saudi Arabia

Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq et al. Ann Saudi Med. 2012 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Background and objective: Peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) are alternatives to short-term central venous catheters and provide intravenous access in the acute hospital setting. In this study, we describe the rate of PICC-associated bloodstream infections (BSI).

Design and setting: Prospective cohort study using data on PICC lines reviewed from January to December 2009.

Methods: The infection control team was responsible for prospective BSI case findings. The infection rate was calculated per 1000 device-days.

Results: During the study period, 92 PICC lines were inserted with a total of 3336 device-days of prospective surveillance. The most frequent reasons for the insertion of the PICC lines were chemotherapy (n=19, 20.7%), intravenous antimicrobial therapy (n=34, 37%), and for patients in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) (n=16, 17.4%). The overall BSI rate was 4.5/1000 PICC days. The PICC line-associated BSI rates for a specific indication were as follows: chemotherapy 6.6/1000 device-days, intravenous antimicrobial therapy 1.2/1000 device-days, medical ICU 7.3/1000 device-days, surgical ICU 4.6/1000 device-days, and total parental nutrition patients 2.4/1000 device-days (P<.001). The rates were not adjusted for patient severity of illness.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that underlying conditions and indications for the PICC line use may play an important role in the development of BSI.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections over 10-day time intervals since peripherally inserted central catheter insertion.
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