Incidence of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection Among Patients With a Needleless, Mechanical Valve–Based Intravenous Connector in an Australian Hematology-Oncology Unit

Abstract

There are few Australian data on the incidence of catheter-associated bloodstream infection (BSI) among patients in hematology-oncology units. We found an increase in catheter-associated BSI rates coincident with the introduction of a mechanical valve connector (2.6 infections vs 5.8 infections per 1,000 catheter-days; incidence rate ratio, 2.2; P=.031).