Skin antisepsis with 0.05% sodium hypochlorite before central venous catheter insertion in neonates: A 2-year single-center experience.

AIM: The study reports a 2-year single-center experience of the practice of skin antisepsis using a 0.05% sodium hypochlorite solution before central venous catheter placement in neonates.

METHODS

Eligible subjects included any hospitalized neonate who needed a central line for at least 48 hours. Infants were excluded if they had a generalized or localized skin disorder. An ad hoc Excel (Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA) file was used to record the data from each patient. The catheter sites were monitored daily for the presence of contact dermatitis. Central line-associated bloodstream infection was diagnosed according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition.

RESULTS

One hundred five infants underwent central venous catheter placement and were enrolled. A total of 198 central lines were inserted. The median gestational age was 31 weeks (range, 23-41 weeks) and median birth weight was 1,420 g (range, 500-5,170 g). There were no signs of 0.05% sodium hypochlorite-related skin toxicity in any infant. Of 198 catheters (1,652 catheter-days) prospectively studied, 9 were associated with bloodstream infections (5.4 per 1,000 catheter-days).

CONCLUSION

During the observation period, no local adverse effects were observed suggesting that 0.05% sodium hypochlorite may be a safe choice in this context.