Polytetrafluoroethylene hemoaccess site infections

The advent of permanent hemodialysis access has made possible the use of chronic hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease. Although autogenous arteriovenous fistulae remain the conduit of choice, their construction is not always feasible. Prosthetic grafts made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are typically the second-line choice for hemoaccess. However, these grafts suffer from decreased rates of patency and an increased number of complications. Although thrombosis is the most common complication, infection of PTFE grafts accounts for a significant number of hospitalizations and uses a large amount of healthcare resources. In this monograph, we address infectious complications of PTFE hemoaccess grafts and present a review of the recent literature.