• C McLane, L Morris, and K Holm.
• Nursing Services, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, USA.
• Heart Lung. 1998 May 1;27(3):200-8.

ObjectiveTo determine the incidence of culture positivity in intravascular monitoring systems by comparing 48- versus 72-hour intervals for flush solution, stopcocks, and catheters on removal.DesignProspective, quasi-experimental, random assignment.SettingIntensive care units of a midwestern university medical center and a community hospital.PatientsSeventy-six critically ill adult patients, ranging in age from 24 to 96 years (X = 61.6), requiring arterial or pulmonary artery catheters.Outcome MeasureCulture positivity of flush solution, stopcocks, or catheter tips.InterventionData collection was initiated at designated change intervals of 48- or 72-hours; cultures were taken of flush solution and stopcocks; catheter tip cultures were obtained on catheter removal.ResultsChi-square analyses indicated that increasing the change interval to 72 hours resulted in no significant difference in culture positivity of catheter tips. However, the difference between the 48- and 72-hour groups in culture-positivity rates of stopcocks from arterial catheters was significant (1, N = 82) = 6.86, p less than 0.01.ConclusionsOur results showed that increasing the change interval to 72 hours did not increase the risk of catheter-associated infection or catheter-associated bacteremia. Chi-square analysis did not show an association between culture-positive stopcocks, the incidence of culture-positive catheter tips, entries into the system, or catheter-related bacteremia and a change interval that was increased to 72 hours. Thus, increasing the change interval to 72 hours does not increase the risk of infection.

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