Children are particularly vulnerable to complications of chronic disease, and symptoms of severe acute complications can often be missed in these patients. Central venous catheter (CVC)-related complications can be life-threatening, with an estimated 12.5%–25% mortality associated with catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs).3,4 Catheter-related complications also add tens
of billions of dollars to healthcare costs in the United States annually,5 chiefly attributable to chronic (prolonged or repeated) venous access. Additional systemic complications, interruption of life-preserving therapies, and increased frequency of thrombosis and endocarditis are associated with
bloodstream infections in certain high-risk populations.