Ramsha Zaheer11 months ago

Catheter-related Sepsis

Central venous catheters are a common cause of fever and sepsis in the hospital, especially in the ICU. The most common causative organisms are Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Risk factors include; emergent placement, femoral lines, and the prolonged indwelling of the line. Only half of all the patients with catheter-related sepsis have clinical evidence of infection at the site of insertion i.e. erythema and purulence. Therefore a high index of suspicion is required. If catheter-related sepsis is suspected, prompt removal of the catheter is done and its tip should be sent for culture. This alone typically leads to the resolution of fever. Broad-spectrum antibiotics should be started immediately.