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Antimicrobial Use in Patients With Positive Intravascular Catheter Cultures A Six-Month Prospective Survey in a Teaching Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Jordi Rello ,
Jordi Vallés ,
Dionisia Fontanals ,
Paola Jubert  and
Ferran Segura
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Abstract

Review of medical records revealed that, of 190 intravascular catheters sent for culture during the study period, 50 were positive. Of these 50, 11 (22%) were sent for culture as a routine procedure without special clinical indications. Of the remaining 39 cultures, only 11 (28%) had clinical impact in the patient's management. Ten of the 50 therapeutic interventions were inappropriate. Restricting cultures to patients who may have catheter-related infection is likely to lead to significant cost savings.

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 17 , Issue 10 , October 1996 , pp. 668 - 669
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1996 

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References

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