CVCB Antimicrobial Lock Therapy Study

Medical researchers at Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at the Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT are studying episodes of central venous catheter-related bacteremia (CVCB) that have become common events in patients with long-term indwelling central venous catheter use. Since no standardized treatment of CVCB exists, novel approaches have been used to salvage infected catheters where vascular access is limited. Use of antibiotic lock solutions (e.g., a solution of an antibiotic agent and heparin) to fill catheter lumens between treatments (antibiotic-lock treatment, ALT) has been shown to prevent CVCB and may be useful for treatment of already-infected catheters. In this report we analyze the success of ALT in preventing CVCB.