Prevalence and etiology of catheter-related infections in neurocritical patients

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of catheter-related infections and the microorganisms obtained in neurocritical patients in the intensive care unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Descriptive, observational transversal and retrospective study of neurocritical patients older than 18 years, assisted at the intensive care unit from 2017 to 2022. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included, 28 were men. The mean age was 40 ± 16.99 years, with a mean in-hospital stay of 18.77 ± 9.09 days. The admission diagnoses were traumatic brain injury (15 out of 30), subdural hematoma (7 of 30) and hemorrhagic stroke (15 of 30). Surgical intervention (craniotomy, n = 11) was required in 16 patients. Bladder catheter and orotracheal intubation were installed in 28 patients, and 4 with central venous catheters. Gram-negative pathogens were identified in 27 cultures, particularly in the case of the urinary catheter, enterobacteria were the main pathogen, P. aeruginosa in the orotracheal intubation and K. pneumoniae in the central venous catheter. CONCLUSIONS: Neurocritical patients have more susceptibility to infections due to the immunosuppression state caused by their neurological disease, permitting opportunistic bacterium to appear, augmenting the morbidity and mortality.