[Evaluation of 1200 venous catheterizations in reanimation]

The authors present a series of 1247 venous catheterizations during resuscitation, the latter being carried out under particularly strict aseptic conditions. This series contains especially: - 364 internal jugular catheterizations; - 223 subclavian catheterizations; - 130 femoral catheterizations. The total number of days of infusion is 6300, of which 3,619 were of prolonged parenteral feeding. 79.5 p. 100 of the catheters cultured proved to be sterile; in the case of those cultures which were positive, 6.5 p. 100 were due to pathogenic organisms, 13.9 p. 100 were due to saprophytes. On the whole, 7 septicemies of venous origin (0.56 p. 100 of all of the catheterizations) were observed. The détailed study of each route shows that the frequency of cultures of pathogen positive catheters is practically the same in all cases. On the other hand, the frequency of cultures of catheters positive with saprophytes is evidently higher for the internal jugular vein; this being particularly true in the male where the role of the beard as a contaminating factor is evoked. The importance of asepsis in the procedure of putting venous catheters in place and in their maintenance seems to be welle demonstrated by the results presented.