WHO Releases First Global Guidelines to Prevent Bloodstream Infections from Peripheral Intravenous Catheters

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first global guidelines for preventing bloodstream infections and other infections resulting from the use of peripheral intravenous catheters during medical procedures.

Poor practices in inserting, maintaining, and removing these catheters pose significant risks of directly introducing bacteria into the bloodstream, potentially leading to severe conditions such as sepsis and complications that are difficult to treat, affecting major organs like the brain and kidneys. Additionally, soft tissue infections can occur at the catheter insertion site.

Up to 70% of all hospitalized patients require the use of peripheral intravenous or arterial catheters at some point during their hospital stay. These patients are often particularly vulnerable to infections due to severe illnesses or weakened immune systems. WHO estimates indicate that between 2000 and 2018, the average mortality rate among patients with healthcare-associated sepsis was 24.4%, rising to 52.3% among those treated in intensive care units.

Many bloodstream infections are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Estimates suggest that bacterial antimicrobial resistance directly caused at least 1.27 million deaths and contributed to an additional 4.95 million deaths in 2019 alone.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, the WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage and Life Course, remarked: "Infections acquired through healthcare are a preventable tragedy and pose a significant threat to the quality and safety of medical services. Implementing recommendations for clean care and infection prevention and control is crucial to saving lives and alleviating much avoidable suffering worldwide."

Establishing and implementing guidelines to prevent the spread of these infections is a top priority for WHO. The new guidelines include 14 statements on good practices and 23 recommendations for key areas relevant to healthcare workers, including:

Educating and training healthcare workers
Sterilization techniques and hand hygiene practices
Inserting, maintaining, connecting, and removing catheters
Selecting appropriate catheters
WHO will continue to collaborate with countries to develop and implement best practices aimed at reducing bloodstream infections in hospitals, ensuring that all patients receive safe and effective care.