Infection control. Central venous catheters: a review of skin cleansing and dressings.

Having central intravenous devices is an indispensable part of the total care for high dependency patients, as they are used for administration of a wide range of intravenous therapies and for haemodynamic monitoring. However, their use is frequently complicated by a variety of local or systemic inf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British Journal of Nursing Vol. 15; no. 12; pp. 650 - 654
Main Author: Danks LA
Format: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Mark Allen Holdings Limited 6/22/2006
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:Having central intravenous devices is an indispensable part of the total care for high dependency patients, as they are used for administration of a wide range of intravenous therapies and for haemodynamic monitoring. However, their use is frequently complicated by a variety of local or systemic infections. Therefore, all staff involved in the management of central venous catheters must base their practice on what is agreed in the literature as being effective in reducing the risk of hospital acquired infections. This article offers a literature-based review of the management of central venous catheters, focusing on skin cleansing and dressing types. Proper skin preparation prior to catheter insertion has been shown to be essential in reducing infections.