Central Line Surveillance

[ali]

Hi 99ers,

Those LBW preterm infants with PICC lines for parenteral fluids, do you perform routine CRPs/infection markers in the otherwise well appearing infant?

Many thanks 

Al

[Stefan Johansson]

We don't. And we do not culture the line tip when we take PICCs out (any longer  )

 

[Vicky Payne]

Nope not routinely, unless clinical concerns. 
I think our current guidance says to send the line tip if concerns but I also think we should be moving away from this practice- there is evidence that line tip cultures has very poor sensitivity and specificity has a diagnostic marker!!!

[satyen75]

We also are not doing routine marker studies in central line. If there is persistent infections especially candida or GNB we do send a tip culture while replacing the central line .