The patient with intravascular lines.

Vascular catheters are the most frequently used indwelling devices. Infections are potentially life-threatening complications of their use, and account for an important proportion of nosocomial infections. Diagnostic methods include essentially semi-quantitative culture of catheter tip and blood culture. For treatment of most catheter-related infections, the catheter should be removed, and antibiotics should be associated in case of systemic infection. Surgically inserted central venous catheter may be maintained in some conditions depending both from the nature of the pathogen and the severity of the infection. These different aspects of catheter infections are reviewed.