[Sterile film as a barrier method in central venous catheter placement]

Sepsis related to central venous catheter (CVC) is an important reason of nosocomial infection in which most of the causal microorganisms are originated in the patient's skin. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of a sterile film as a method of antimicrobial barrier in the placement of CVC. We have studied the infection incidence and the number of days of the catheter placement in two groups, one experimental group in which the CVC was inserted through a sterile adherent film and another group in which the CVC was inserted according to the current hospital protocol. This is a randomized experimental quantitative study in the setting of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Bellvitge University Hospital. Our study sample was made up of 100 critical patients. The effectiveness of this film was measured by controlling the infection incidence in the different groups, using a point of insertion smear, culture of the catheter tip and blood cultures after withdrawal. The results were interpreted according to the criteria of the ICACC (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy). A decrease of the percentage of positive smears (12.3%), positive tops of catheter (6.1%) and bacteriemia related to the catheter (8.9%) with the use of the barrier method has been demonstrated. We conclude that using the polyethylene hypoallergenic sterile adherent film is an effective antimicrobial barrier method in insertion of the CVC.