The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the first global guidelines to avoid bloodstream and other infections caused by catheters placed in minor blood vessels during medical procedures. These guidelines aim to educate and train health workers about asepsis techniques and hand hygiene practices, catheter selection, and insertion, access, maintenance, and removal of catheters. Key recommendations All clinicians should be appropriately educated on the indications for intravascular catheter use, including peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC), peripherally-inserted central catheter (PICC), and peripheral arterial catheter (PAC).
Maintain hand hygiene during insertion, maintenance, access, and removal of catheter. Use sterile techniques to insert PICCs and PACs in neonates, adolescents/children, and adults. Adequately disinfect the skin before inserting PIVCs, PICCs, and PACs in…
