Contamination of internal jugular lines. Incidence in patients undergoing open-heart surgery

From July to December 1977, 217 patients underwent open heart surgery at this institution. From this group, 125 internal jugular venous lines (JVL) were collected, cultured and the organisms identified. Nose, throat, urine and sternotomy wounds were also cultured. Notable findings included a JVL contamination rate of 65%. The commonest infecting organism (90%) was Staphylococcus epidermidis (albus). This organism was also found in the nares in 74% of cases, but was not isolated from other sites. Postoperative pyrexia, but no morbidity or mortality, could be related to the JVL contamination. It was concluded that the source of the JVL contamination was the patient's neck skin, which itself is contaminated by the patients' noses.