World Health Organisation (WHO) has published the first global guidelines to prevent
bloodstream and other infections caused by use of catheter placed in minor blood vessels during medical procedures.
The organisation made this known in a statement on Thursday, adding that poor practice in the insertion, maintenance and removal of catheter carry high risk of introducing germs directly into the bloodstream. It can lead to serious conditions such as sepsis, and difficult-to-treat complications in major organs like the brain and kidneys.
According to the world body, soft tissue infections at the insertion site of the catheter can also occur. It added that up to 70 per cent of all inpatients require the use of catheter, inserted into a peripheral vein or artery, also known as Peripherally Inserted Catheters (PIVCs) at some point during their hospital stay.
The organisation stated that between 2000–2018, average mortality among patients affected by health care-associated sepsis was 52.3 per cent, an increase from average 24.4 per cent among patients treated in intensive care units. It said that many bloodstream infections are caused by antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.
The WHO statement quoted Dr Bruce Aylward, the organisation’s Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Life Course, as saying that infections associated with healthcare delivery represent a preventable tragedy and a serious threat to the quality and safety of healthcare.
According to him, developing and implementing guidance to prevent the spread of such infections has been a key priority for WHO.
Aylward said the new guidelines included 14 good practice statements and 23 recommendations on key areas for health workers, including education and training, as well as techniques of asepsis and hand hygiene practice, insertion, maintenance, access, removal of catheters, and catheter selection.
The assistant director explained that WHO would continue to work with countries to develop and implement best practices to reduce the occurrence of bloodstream infections in hospitals, and to ensure patients received safe and effective care.