Goal:To compare topical disinfectants and track the subsequent rate of intravenous antibiotic use in a subpopulation of patients on hemodialysis with central venous catheters for access.

Objectives:

Compare the incidence of infection rates utilizing differing topical disinfectants.
Determine if electrolytically produced sodium hypochlorite (ESH) is as effective as other agents in decreasing the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) in this population.
Discuss the limitations, implications, and applicability of this study.

Disclaimer:The authors state that the data in this article were originally presented as a poster at the American Society of Nephrology Renal Week in Denver, CO, on November 20, 2010, and at the National Kidney Foundation spring meeting in Las Vegas, NV, in April 2011. The contents of this article in whole or in part, have not, however, been previously reported in another article and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Source of Support:This study was funded by Alcavis, HDC, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD. The authors are employees of DaVita Clinical Research, Minneapolis, MN.

Acknowledgements:The authors thank DaVita Clinical Research (DCR) for providing technical support for this research project and Supriya Srinivasan, PhD, for editorial support on this article.

Statement of Disclosure:The authors have disclosed that they are employees of DaVita Clinical Research, who have funded this study. They have reported no other actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this continuing nursing education activity.

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