Central Line Infection (CLI)

A central line is a catheter inserted into a patient's vein that supplies blood and replaces fluids or nutrients. Central lines also let health care providers monitor fluids and make determinations about the heart and blood. CLI occurs when a central line becomes infected and bacteria spread to the bloodstream.

CLI is more likely to occur on an intensive care unit . It is also more common in patients who have a serious underlying illness or debilitation, are receiving bone marrow or chemotherapy, or have a central line for an extended period of time. Symptoms of CLI include redness, pain or swelling around the catheter site, or pain or tenderness along the path of the catheter. There may also be fluid drainage from the skin around the catheter, and the patient may experience sudden fever or chills.

Infections are treated with antibiotics but they are preventable. Patients should wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer, and they should try not to touch their lines or dressings. Health care providers or anyone else touching the lines should wash their hands thoroughly.

For more information on CLI, please see the Province of Ontario fact sheet.

The Heart Institute's CLI infection rates are available here (pdf).