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Incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection among patients with a needleless, mechanical valve-based intravenous connector in an Australian hematology-oncology unit.

Field K, McFarlane C, Cheng AC, Hughes AJ, Jacobs E, Styles K, Low J, Stow P, Campbell P, Athan E

Department of Clinical Hematology and Medical Oncology, Geelong Hospital, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.

There are few Australian data on the incidence of catheter-associated bloodstream infection (BSI) among patients in hematology-oncology units. We found an increase in catheter-associated BSI rates coincident with the introduction of a mechanical valve connector (2.6 infections vs 5.8 infections per 1,000 catheter-days; incidence rate ratio, 2.2; P=.031).

Published 27 April 2007 in Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 28(5): 610-3.
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