[An efficient strategy to decrease the central venous catheter-related adverse events rate in haemodialysis patients].

Introduction: Catheter-related adverse events (CAE) remain a major cause of mortality and morbidity.
Aim: We aimed to compare the CAE prevalence and adverse events rate at 10 years interval in one centre using different devices, dressing procedures.
Methods: We compared two periods, from 1994 to 1997 (period 1) and from 2004 to 2007 (period 2). We recorded all prevalent tunnelled CAE and their related adverse event rate: catheter-related bacteraemia (CRB), catheter local infection (CLI), catheter dysfunction leading to CAE exchange, thrombolytic use and spontaneous pulling up.
Results: In period 1, PermCath catheter (Quinton, N=63) and TwinCath catheter (MedComp, N=76) were used in 95 HD. BioFlex catheter (N=52) and ASPC split catheter (MedComp, N=52) were used in 72 HD in period 2. In period 1, we performed catheter dressing using povidone iodine versus alcoholic chlorexidine in period 2. Between period 1 and period 2, the CAE prevalence decreased from 15-18% to 9-6%, CRB from 1.1 to 0.23/1000 day-catheter (p<0.001), CLI from 1.1 to 0.28/1000 day-catheter (p<0.001), definitive dysfunction from 12 to 1.2% (p<0.001) and CAE pulling up from 4 to 0%. The annual urokinase consumption decreased from three to one unit per CAE.
Conclusion: This study shows the dramatic decrease in CAE prevalence (-50%) and related-adverse events (approximately -200%) since 10 years. Switching povidone iodine to chlorexidine and using more recent catheter devices appear very efficient in decreasing catheter-related adverse events.