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Abstract
Intrathecal catheters have been used for many years to treat severe pain resistant
to conventional treatment modalities. Previous studies have found a rate of serious
infection of 2%-3% using these catheters in home situations. However, many authors
used prophylactic antibiotics routinely in this group of patients, which are both
costly and associated with a risk of developing antibiotic resistance. We were interested
in studying whether improved hygiene during insertion and care of these catheters
in the hospice or home environment would reduce the incidence of catheter-related
infections. The results show that prophylactic antibiotic is not necessary, but a
careful handling of the system with aseptic technique is important. The infections
we registered appeared more than 2 weeks after insertion of the catheters. We now
use this method routinely when inserting an intrathecal catheter with a subcutaneous
port.