Prevention of Infections of Temporary Central Venous Hemodialysis Catheters. What Place for Local Antibiotic Prophylaxis?

Abstract Introduction: Prevention of central venous catheter infections in hemodialysis is based on strict adherence to aseptic conditions and hygiene measures.The aim of this work is to demonstrate the benefit of local antibiotic prophylaxis, in the form of an antibiotic ointment applied to the catheter emergence site, in the prevention of infections of temporary hemodialysis catheters. Material and Methods: It is a tri-centric prospective study spread over a period of 12 years. We have divided the patients into 2 groups: the first includes all patients who receive local antibiotic prophylaxis after each dialysis session and the second constitutes the control group and includes all patients who do not receive any antibiotic prophylaxis. We have followed the fate of each hemodialysis catheter from its placement until its removal to detect the appearance of any infection that occurs. Results: Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of local antibiotic prophylaxis in preventing local infections of catheters used in hemodialysis, with a non-significant reduction in the number of systemic infections and a prolongation of the duration of catheter use, without observing any cases of bacterial resistance. Conclusion: Local antibiotic prophylaxis is useful in the prevention of systemic infections.