WHO guidelines target catheter-caused infections

Editor's Note

New World Health Organization (WHO) guidance aims to prevent the occurrence of bloodstream and other infections caused by improper use of catheters during medical procedures.

Released May 9, the global guidelines focus on insertion, maintenance, and removal of catheters during medical procedures, which can damage organs and cause sepsis or other infections if performed improperly. The new recommendations and “good practice statements” also cover staff education and training; asepsis techniques and hand hygiene; and catheter selection.

According to the press release, as many as 70% of all inpatients require a peripherally inserted catheter (PIVC). These patients also tend to be ill or otherwise particularly vulnerable to infections. WHO estimates indicate that average mortality among patients affected by health care-associated sepsis was 24.4% between 2000–2018, increasing to 52.3% among patients treated in intensive care units. The organization also estimates that bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was directly responsible for at least 1.27 million deaths and contributed to an additional 4.95 million deaths in 2019.