Ethanol lock for the prevention of CLABSI

For those of you who are interested in ethanol lock to prevent central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), there is a nice review in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. I think this is a very promising intervention that deserves further study.

Ethanol lock: A promising intervention

A new study from France evaluated the utility of ethanol lock on eradication of biofilms due to S. aureus, S. epidermidis, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans in an in vitro model. A 20-minute treatment was shown to eradicate gram-negative and C. albicans bioflims, whereas a 30-minute treatment was required to eliminate gram-positive biofilms. We have previously found ethanol lock to be clinically effective in reducing bloodstream infections in a small observational study of adult patients requiring long-term TPN and a similar study has shown promising results in children on long-term TPN. Studies in the inpatient setting to evaluate ethanol lock on reducing central-line associated bloodstream infection are warranted.