Changing central venous catheter lines: evaluation of a modification to clinical practice

As the costs of providing quality nursing care increase, the conservation of both human and material resources becomes increasingly important. This study arose from a need to evaluate the procedure used to change central venous catheter (CVC) lines following the substitution of a time-consuming and costly traditional procedure with a simpler procedure that used less resources. Using a convenience sample of inpatients in the oncology unit who had either fully or partially implanted infusion devices in situ, rates of infection for CVC exit sites were calculated for the 12-month periods preceding and following the introduction of the revised procedure. No significance differences were found between the infection rates at CVC line exit sites; however, the cost of undertaking the procedure decreased following a change of equipment used in the line-change procedure. Data collection methods are discussed, together with results and implications for clinical practice.