Acta Vet. Brno 2025, 94: 281-287
Effect of different antiseptic skin agents on bacterial contamination of peripheral intravenous catheters in dogs and cats
This study evaluated the effect of selected antiseptic skin agents (alcohol, chlorhexidine, and their combination) on the level of microbial contamination of peripheral intravenous catheters. A total of 83 animals (73 dogs and 10 cats) in which a peripheral intravenous catheter was inserted were evaluated. Prior to insertion, one of the tested antiseptic agents was used to prepare the site of catheter insertion. For each animal, microbiological examination of two skin swabs (taken before and after application of antiseptic skin agent) and a sample from the catheter after it was removed from the vessel was performed and the duration of catheter placement in the vessel was also recorded. Regarding the proportion of positive microbiological culture result, no significant difference was found between the three antiseptic agents in the rate of bacterial contamination of the skin (P = 0.552) or the peripheral intravenous catheter (P = 0.597). The intravenous catheter contamination rate tended to increase with the duration of hospitalization, although this relationship was not significant (P = 0.309). Bacteria isolated from contaminated catheters matched bacteria isolated from the skin of the same animal in one case only. Our results confirm the effectiveness of individual skin antiseptic agents and suggest that contamination of peripheral intravenous catheters occurs primarily from the environment during patient’s hospitalization, rather than as a consequence of insufficient aseptic skin preparation at the site of catheter insertion.
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Funding
This work was supported by funds from the Internal Grant Agency (IGA VETUNI Brno FVL IGA 2023 – project no. 118/2023/FVL) and funds of institutional research (TA 29) FVM VETUNI.
