Needle-free connectors catheter-related bloodstream infections: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Background: In the critically ill, catheter-related bloodstream infection can result from bacterial contamination of infusion hubs of intravascular catheters. Needle-free connectors (NFC) have been suggested to reduce the rate of bacterial contamination and subsequent catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), but data remains ambiguous. Thus, we tested if a novel NFC would reduce bacterial contamination and subsequent CRBSI.