Central line and intravascular catheter infections

At a glance

• Intravascular catheters cause a large share of healthcare-associated bloodstream infection, including S. aureus bacteraemia from peripheral cannulas, which are often forgotten.
• Diagnosis rests on paired blood cultures (one through the catheter, one peripheral) and the absence of another source.
• S. aureus, Pseudomonas, Candida and mycobacteria mean the line comes out. Coagulase-negative staphylococci can sometimes be treated with the line in place.