The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled its inaugural global guidelines aimed at curbing bloodstream and other infections stemming from the use of catheters in minor blood vessels during medical procedures.

These guidelines address the pressing need to address poor practices in the insertion, maintenance, and removal of catheters, which pose a significant risk of introducing harmful germs directly into the bloodstream. Such infections can precipitate severe conditions like sepsis and lead to challenging-to-treat complications in vital organs such as the brain and kidneys. Additionally, soft tissue infections at the catheter insertion site can also occur.

Up to 70% of hospitalized patients require catheters inserted into peripheral veins or arteries, known as peripherally inserted catheters (PIVCs), at some point during their hospitalization. Individuals receiving treatments through catheters are particularly vulnerable to infections, given their underlying serious illnesses or compromised immune systems.

According to WHO estimates, between 2000 and 2018, the average mortality rate among patients affected by healthcare-associated sepsis stood at a staggering 24.4%, skyrocketing to 52.3% among patients treated in intensive care units.

Many bloodstream infections are attributable to antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, exacerbating the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. In 2019 alone, bacterial AMR was directly responsible for a minimum of 1.27 million deaths and contributed to an additional 4.95 million deaths.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Life Course, emphasized the preventable nature of infections associated with healthcare delivery, labeling them as both a tragedy and a grave threat to healthcare quality and safety. He underscored the critical importance of implementing clean care practices and infection prevention and control measures to mitigate avoidable suffering and save lives worldwide.

The release of these global guidelines marks a significant step forward in the global healthcare community's efforts to combat catheter-related infections and enhance patient safety. Implementing these recommendations rigorously can potentially avert countless infections and prevent unnecessary morbidity and mortality associated with catheter use in medical settings.