An analysis of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections in patients treated in a Swedish Covid-19 intensive care unit

Abstract

Background: Catheter-related bloodstream infection is a well-known, severe complication of central venous catheter insertion. Studies that have evaluated the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic’s influence on the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection in intensive care units are limited. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study on catheter-related bloodstream infection in coronavirus disease 2019 intensive care unit with previously documented low incidence rates to evaluate the pandemic’s impact. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on catheter-related bloodstream infection incidence in the intensive care unit. Methods: All central venous catheter-inserted patients aged ⩾18 years admitted to the intensive care unit with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection, and the secondary outcome was the detection of catheter-related bloodstream infection-causative microorganisms. Results: During the pandemic’s first year, 124 patients were admitted, and 203 central venous catheters were inserted. Two patients developed catheter-related bloodstream infection. The incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection was 0.79/1000 catheter days. The microorganisms responsible for catheter-related bloodstream infection were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli. Conclusion: This study revealed a low incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection in the coronavirus disease 2019-intensive care unit, thus suggesting that coronavirus disease 2019 is not a risk factor for catheter-related bloodstream infection and indicating the high resilience of well-established routines aimed at catheter-related bloodstream infection prevention.