Central venous catheters: infection and patient susceptibility

Infection is a major cause of morbidity in haemodialysis patients, of which between 25% and 50% of infections are related to vascular access, most commonly central venous catheters (CVCs) (Kessler et al, 1993). The morbidity associated with CVC infection provides a focus for research investigation, as there is limited knowledge available in relation to physiological and psychological parameters that may increase the probability of haemodialysis patients acquiring a CVC-related infection. This study explores these issues and discusses various factors that influence infection. It then describes how organisms which live on and inside our bodies can become parasitic, thus causing an infection. The precautions taken by healthcare professionals to reduce colonization and infection are enumerated, and the value of considering patients' physiological and psychological parameters alongside the more traditional extrinsic infection control approaches is discussed.