Intravascular catheters: current guidelines for care and maintenance.

It is hoped that the necessity for future research will provide data for the ICU practitioner to deliver the safest and most cost-effective methods of intravascular catheterization in a constantly changing environment.

Abstract

Many considerations resulting in the formulations of guidelines for the use of intravascular catheters in the care of critically ill patients are well explored and documented; other areas are highly conjectural, are virtually unchartered, or have not even been explored. The sterility of transducer and flush assembly over time, the use of a five-lumen PA catheter as an avenue for both hemodynamic measurement and nutritional support, and the meaningful interpretation of cultures obtained from all of the catheters are necessary areas of present research to replace theoretical concepts with data. We hope that the necessity for future research will provide data for the ICU practitioner to deliver the safest and most cost-effective methods of intravascular catheterization in a constantly changing environment.