Reliable vascular access is one of the most essential features of modern medical care. Central venous catheters (CVCs) are being increasingly used to provide long-term venous access as around 5 million CVCs are purchased each year in the US. These devices are indispensable, but their use is far from problem free. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US estimates that the average rate of CVC-associated bloodstream infections (BSIs) is 250,000 per year at an estimated cost of $25,000 per episode. The annual cost of caring for patients with CVC-associated BSIs ranges from $296 million to $2.3 billion in the US alone.
This novel dressing provides a method of fixing the CVC to the patients’ chest that allows for easy adjustment and comfort, and reduces the risk of infection.
