Adequacy of a New Chlorhexidine-Bearing Polyurethane Central Venous Catheter for Administration of 82 Selected Parenteral Drugs

OBJECTIVE:

To screen 82 commonly used parenteral medications for compatibility with a new chlorhexidine-bearing central venous catheter, the ARROWg⁺ard Blue Plus. Evaluations were performed for completeness of drug delivery and impact, if any, of the drugs on the amount of chlorhexidine removed from the internal lumens.

DESIGN: Drug solutions were prepared in dextrose 5% injection or NaCl 0.9% at common concentrations. Three 10-mL aliquots of each drug solution were delivered over 10 minutes, one aliquot through each lumen of the triple-lumen catheter. The initial drug concentrations of the admixtures and the effluent samples were analyzed by HPLC for chlorhexidine content and for the amount of drug delivered relative to its initial concentration.

RESULTS:

The delivery of the infusion solutions alone through sample catheters resulted in no more than trace amounts of chlorhexidine in the solution. Background amounts ranged from <2.5 to 6.1 μg/mL in the first 10 mL of solution. Administration of none of the drugs tested resulted in a substantial increase in chlorhexidine delivery. Furthermore, delivery of most of the drugs was at least 95% and usually was in excess of 97% of the initial concentration. Concentrations of five drugs, amikacin sulfate, cefoperazone sodium, cefotaxime sodium, cefepime HCl, and netilmicin sulfate were somewhat lower than the initial concentration (range 91–95%), but were still considered acceptable.

CONCLUSIONS:

The ARROWg⁺ard Blue Plus central venous catheter can be recommended for use with all of the 82 parenteral drugs tested.