Pietro Petrin

Central Venous Catheter Guidewire Replacement According to the Seldinger Technique: Usefulness in the Management of Patients on Total Parenteral Nutrition

While on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), 37 patients underwent replacement of a central venous catheter (CVC), during which a wire introducer was used, according to the Seldinger technique. In 25 patients, the CVC was placed in the superior cava via the subclavian, and, in 12, via the jugular vein. Overall, 82 CVC changes were performed.: 74 for assumed CVC sepsis, 6 as preventive treatment, and 2 for partial catheter displacement. Catheter tip culture proved to be positive in 25 of 119 CVC examined. The catheters were defined as sterile when the tip culture was negative; contaminated, when the tip culture was positive and peripheral blood culture was either negative or positive for different bacteria; septic when both tip and blood were positive for the same bacteria. The results indicated that 10 catheters were contaminated and 17 were septic. Eight previously sterile CVC were found positive after the exchange: 3 were removed at the end of TPN in asymptomatic patients, and 5 were successfully resterilized by means of one more change. Guidewire replacement allowed CVC sterilization of 22 of 24 catheters (91.6%). No complications due to the catheter-changing method were seen.