• Walter Zingg, Vanessa Cartier-Fässler, and Bernhard Walder.
• Doctor Infection Control Program, Geneva University Hospitals, 24 Rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. walter.zingg@hcuge.ch
• Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2008 Sep 1; 22 (3): 407-21.

AbstractMost patients in the hospital need vascular access: a peripheral venous line, a short-term non-cuffed central venous catheter (CVC), a long-term cuffed CVC, an implantable port or an arterial line. Such devices, although often indispensable and of benefit, may have the disadvantage of mechanical complications, local exit-site infections or catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CRBSI). Apart from peripheral venous lines, non-cuffed CVCs are the most frequent catheter type in hospitals. The risk for CRBSI of such catheters is high with an incidence density of 2 to 7 episodes per 1000 catheter-days depending on ward-type, institution and geographical region. This review describes the epidemiology, the frequency and the risk of CRBSI among non-cuffed CVCs, provides accepted definitions as well as descriptions of diagnostic techniques and highlights various prevention measures.

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