Bacterial contamination of ‘Venflon’ intravenous cannulae with valved injection sideport

doi:10.1016/0195-6701(83)90030-0

Journal of Hospital Infection

Volume 4, Issue 3, September 1983, Pages 291-295

https://doi.org/10.1016/0195-6701(83)90030-0 Get rights and content

Abstract

Eighty-eight intravenous cannulae with valved injection sideports were examined bacteriologically after approximately three days (64–80 h) normal clinical use. Three methods of culture of the cannulae were used, which distinguished contamination of the outer and inner surfaces as well as detecting bacteria remaining on the inner cannula surface following a washing procedure of the lumen. Of the cannulae sampled, 40·9 per cent were found to be contaminated on their inner surfaces and no correlation was obtained between use of the sideport and contamination of the cannulae at this site. It was concluded that contamination of a cannula lumen did not necessarily result in bacteraemia.

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A randomized prospective study was conducted to assess the effect of inserting a bacteria-retaining filter into the side-port of ‘Venflon’ cannulae. Observations were made on 109 cannulae with filters and 100 without. Although there was a trend towards a reduced rate of side-port colonization in the cannulae with filters this was not paralleled by any reduction in the incidence of local inflammation or colonization of the intravascular segment (IVS) of the cannula. Of the 37 cannulae with positive cultures from the skin at the cannula insertion site 22 yielded indistinguishable bacteria from the IVS, while only three of the 25 positive side-port cultures were similarly associated. It is concluded that in the majority of cases, organisms isolated from the IVS originate on the skin and that organisms introduced via the side-port rarely lead to IVS colonization.

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Original articleBacterial contamination of ‘Venflon’ intravenous cannulae with valved injection sideport

Abstract

Journal of Hospital Infection

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Original article
Bacterial contamination of ‘Venflon’ intravenous cannulae with valved injection sideport