• The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its first global guidelines aimed at preventing bloodstream infections caused by catheters placed in minor blood vessels during medical procedures.

• Poor insertion, maintenance, and removal practices carry a serious risk of causing local infections or sepsis.

• Catheter-related infections are a significant risk for up to 70% of inpatients, particularly those who are severely ill or have low immunity. 

• Between 2000 and 2018, the average mortality from healthcare-associated sepsis was 24.4%, rising to 52.3% in ICU patients.

• Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are a major cause of these infections, contributing to millions of deaths annually.

• The new WHO guidelines include 14 good practice statements and 23 recommendations on health worker education, asepsis techniques, hand hygiene, and catheter management.

• WHO emphasizes implementing these practices to enhance healthcare quality and safety, aiming to reduce preventable infections and associated suffering globally

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