Short-term IV catheters are vital for the care of critically ill patients to allow safe intravenous administration of medications and monitoring of blood flow. Due to high use rate of intravascular catheters, associated infections are an important burden of infections acquired in ICU, impacting morbidity, length-of stay and mortality.
In Europe, the average CVC associated bloodstream infection rate in critically ill patients was 3.7 episodes per 1000 CVC-days. The infection of the catheter can occur by two main pathways: the extraluminal (outside) route or the intraluminal (inside) route. The outside route, dressing disruptions are frequently observed and are one of the most important risk factors for intravascular catheter infections. Of note, dressing disruption occurred more frequently in patients with higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, with a body mass index (BMI)>40, and receiving renal replacement therapies. Moreover, catheter dressing integrity is essential in preventing catheter dislodgement, which represents a frequent cause of catheter failure. Enhanced efforts to improve catheter care and reduce dressing disruption should therefore be prioritized as a preventive measure.