[Risk Factors of Retained Central Venous Catheter Associated Bloodstream Infections in Hospitalized Patients].

Background: Despite recent efforts in Taiwan to reduce the risk and incidence of central venous catheter associated bloodstream infections (CABSI), the results as reported by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, when compared with the results achieved in the USA, indicate that Taiwan must promote the central venous catheter bundle approach more effectively. Furthermore, the risk factors for CABSI should be explored further in order to facilitate the development and implementation of effective related improvement strategies.

Purpose: To explore the risk factors for CABSI after adjusting for confounding factors and to analyze the appropriate protocol for applying retained central venous catheters in hospitalized patients and the impact of CABSI.

Methods: The ethics committee approved this retrospective case-control study. Hospitalized patients who were older than 20 years of age and were currently experiencing their first instance of CABSI were recruited between March 1, 2014 to October 31, 2014 as the case group. In addition, a control group was recruited in a 1:2 ratio from a random sample of patients listed in the medical order system who had received a central venous catheter but did not experience CABSI. Anyone who did not meet the above criteria was excluded. Data collected included basic demographic characteristics, basic catheter information, and the main reason for the catheter being in situ during the 48 hours prior to contracting CABSI or catheter removal.

Results: A total of 65 patients with CABSI comprised the case group and 130 patients without CABSI comprised the control group. After controlling for potentially confounding factors using logistic regression analysis, the independent risk factors of CABSI (p < .05) were identified as: staying in the intensive care unit, having a high APACHE II (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II) score, and having diabetes mellitus. Moreover, while having inappropriate central venous catheter in situ was found to not significantly influence CABSI (OR, 2.41; 95% CI [0.65-8.91]), we identified that about 10.8% of retained central venous catheter applications were unnecessary due to the lack of sufficient indications for use.

Conclusions: We recommend that nursing staffs should remind physicians to evaluate carefully the need to use central venous catheters and should fully implement sterile protocols to protect the health of high-risk patients. In addition, nursing staffs should assess the central venous catheter daily and should remind physicians to remove the catheter as soon as possible in the absence of indications for use.