RESUMO
Objective To evaluate, the safety of keeping watching central venous catheter and whether it decreased unnecessary catheter removal in unexplained fever patients. Methods Eighty-two unexplained fever patients with suspected catheter-related infection whose clinical conditions were relatively stable were retrospectively analyzed and divided into keep watching group (31 patients) and immediate removal group (51 patients). ICU mortality, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, temperature, the rate of catheter-related infection, and the rate of central venous catheter removal were compared. Results There was no significant difference in ICU mortality, SOFA score, temperature and the rate of catheter-related infection between two groups (P > 0.05). Eleven of 31 (35.5%) were removed central venous catheter at last, versus all patients (100.0%) in the immediate removal group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Keep watching central venous catheter will decrease a substantial unnecessary catheter removal without increased morbidity in unexplained fever patients with suspected catheter-related infection if their clinical conditions are relatively stable.