Ethanol-lock Therapy for the Prevention of Non-tunneled Catheter-related Infection in Pediatric Patients

The patients was divided into two groups, where one received alcoholization (ethanol lock therapy group) and the other not (control group). The variables evaluated were: CLABSI, etiological agents, adverse events and the mechanical effects of ethanol on the catheter (breakage and obstruction). To determine the association between the independent variable and the dependent variables, the chi-square test of association (Pearson) and Fisher's exact test were used. The Risk Ratio (RR) was calculated as a relative risk measure, with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The significance level of 5% was adopted. The sample size calculation was performed in the OpenEpi software version 2.3.1. And a long-term catheter clinical trial was used to calculate the sample size, which demonstrated a 9% central venous catheter infection frequency in the ethanol group and 37% in the control group, so that the sample size was 80 patients (40 in each group), considering a power of 80%, an alpha error of 5% and 10% of post-randomization losses.

Inclusion criteria

• Pediatric surgery patients;
• Weight: 2 Kg or more;
• Using non-tunneled double-lumen polyurethane central venous catheter;
• CVC inserted at operation room, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU);
• CVC adequately positioned (checked by radioscopy ou radiography);
• CVC implanted within a maximum of 24 hours.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients whose catheters had been inserted under emergency situations;
• Patients in a critical condition (those requiring continuous fluid/drug infusion through both lumens);
• Patients with a history of hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to ethanol were excluded from the study.