Investigation of the effects of types of catheters on bloodstream infection in patients with major burns: prognosis and prediction using procalcitonin.

Bloodstream and catheter-related infections frequently occur in patients with burns. Thus, it is important to correctly assess and manage them. This study aimed to investigate the effects of catheter types used in patients with major burns on bloodstream infections and to predict sepsis status and manage its prognosis using a procalcitonin biomarker. The study included 34 patients who were admitted to the burn intensive care unit. These patients were classified into two groups based on whether they used peripheral or central venous catheter. The procalcitonin, thrombocyte and leukocyte levels of the patients were assessed every other day for 4 weeks, starting from the day when they were admitted to the burn center. An intergroup comparison revealed that procalcitonin levels were lower in the peripheral catheter group than in the central venous catheter group after day 10. Furthermore, the procalcitonin levels were significantly lower in the peripheral catheter group than in the central venous catheter group, especially on days 19, 21 and 24 (p <0.05). It is important to consider using peripheral venous catheters instead of central venous catheters in patients with major burns in order to mitigate the risk of catheter-related infections. Monitoring patients based on procalcitonin levels every other day, changing catheters, and administering antibiotic therapy based on changes in procalcitonin levels in patients likely to have elevated procalcitonin levels may reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure and associated costs to the healthcare system.