Infection risk of cardiac catheterization and arterial angiography with single and multiple use disposable catheters

In a prospective study from November 1986 to June 1987, a cohort of 414 patients underwent cardiac catheterization or angiography with either multiple use or single use disposable catheters: 161 patients were studied with 426 single use catheters, 152 patients with 384 multiple use catheters which were resterilized once or twice, and 101 patients with 325 multiple use catheters reprocessed several times. Postcatheterization temperature did not exceed 38.2 degrees C in any patient, but was greater than 37.4 degrees C in 4-6% of the patients studied. No significant differences between the three groups with respect to fever could be observed. Infectious complications associated with cardiac catheterization or angiography did not occur in any case. Of 414 patients, 38 (9.2%) developed hematoma at the puncture site. It is concluded that careful cleaning, disinfection, and resterilization of intravascular catheters with ethylene oxide does not increase the risk of infection. With the rising pressure for containment of health care costs, it is likely that the practice of reprocessing and reuse of expensive intravascular catheters will expand further.