Percutaneous central venous catheter-related sepsis in the neonate: an analysis of the literature from 1990 to 1994.

Percutaneous central venous catheters (PCVCs) have been used in neonates since the 1970s. During the 1980s, they were introduced in many NICUs. Most studies published to date employ a descriptive methodology. There are very few randomized clinical trials with PCVCs in neonates, and no integrated literature reviews have been published to date. Furthermore, infection in neonates with PCVCs has become a major concern. This integrated literature review was conducted to delineate the scope of the problem of sepsis in neonates with central venous catheters and to identify current research directed at methods to reduce catheter-related sepsis (CRS) in high-risk neonates. Twenty-five references were found and analyzed for this review. The definitions used to identify CRS in neonates varied greatly among studies. The method of calculating the CRS rate varied as well. The CRS rates ranged from 0 to 29 percent or from 0 to 15.3 infections per 1,000 catheter days. Strategies employed to reduce CRS rates are presented along with recommendations for future research.