Objective: To improve sterilization methods for preventing stopcock infection in central venous lines.
Design: Prospective, noninterventional study.
Setting: General intensive care unit at a university teaching hospital.
Measurements and Results: Thirty-six stopcocks connected to the central venous line in critically ill patients were studied. Sixteen stopcocks were wiped with cotton wett with 70% ethyl alcohol at the injection port immediately before intravenous medication (wiping group), and twenty stopcocks were sterilized by spraying 70% ethyl alcohol into the injection port (spray group). Microbiological analysis was performed after using the stopcocks for 24 hours. Pathogenetic bacteria were isolated from five stopcocks (31.3%) and fungi were detected from four stopcocks (25.0%) in the wiping group. Pathogenetic bacteria and fungi were isolated from one stopcock (5.0%) and three stopcocks (15.0%), respectively in the spray group.
Conclusion: This study showed that spraying 70% ethylalcohol on stopcocks is significantly more effective (P<0.05) than wiping method for decreasing bacterial infection rates in central cathters.