Medical Devices Pose Big Infection Threat

According to research by Darouiche, more than half of healthcare-acquired infections are attributed to medical devices such as central venous catheters, bladder catheters, endotracheal tubes, tracheostomy devices, and surgical implants.

Prevention Advice

The science behind infections can be complicated, but some of the associated solutions are quite simple. The first step to prevention of device-related infection is to wash hands properly and put on gloves, says Dennis Maki, MD, professor of medicine in the Section of Infectious Diseases at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wis. Maki is also a hospital epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and an attending physician in the University of Wisconsin Center for Trauma and Life Support.

“The next step is that every effort needs to be made to follow standard infection control practices with insertion of intravascular devices,” Maki says. “That’s basically to comply with evidence-based guidelines. I think that’s extremely important with urinary catheters, but especially intravenous catheters of all types. ...On a daily basis, every day that a patient is seen the question should be asked by their healthcare worker, ‘Do they need that device any longer? Can it be removed today?’” Maki says.

“I’m a critical care physician as well as an infectious disease consultant and when I’m in the ICU (intensive care unit) and I’m taking care of the patients, every day on rounds we ask ourselves, “What devices can we remove?” No device should be left in a minute longer than is necessary,” Maki adds. “It’s a low-tech recommendation but it’s not a trivial one ... People are busy and they just sort of forget (the catheter’s) there and it’s particularly a problem in ICUs.”