Septicemia asociada a catéter venoso central

Abstract

The use of central venous catheters (CVC) is
very common in national hospitals, because they
improve the care of critically ill patients as well
as the administration of irritant drugs like
chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition and some
antibiotics and specific parenteral solutions.
They are also used to perform medical proce-
dures as plasmaferesis and hemofiltration. Be-
cause of its location in the deep venous system,
they are very important sites of ingress for path-
ogens. This review describes the main types of
CVC, the sources and sites of infection and the
risk factors linked to CVC-associated septicemia.
It also describes the recommendations for CVC
substitution and the most frequent bacterial flora
found as cause of infection.