PICC Lines and Candida Auris, an Established Hospital Acquired Bloodstream Infection

Polyurethane PICC lines are ineffective in reducing hospital-acquired infections, while super-hydrophilic lines offer better protection but are not being used

SANTA BARBARA, CA, UNITED STATES, March 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “Polyurethane PICC lines are defective because they do little to reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections,” states Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national sepsis attorney.

What is reported by Dr. Cesar Arias, MD, Ph.D, in his article “Changing Trends in the Sources and Volumes of Clinical Cultures with Candida auris at a Large Health System, 2019-2023” published in the American Journal of Infection Control, March 17, 2025?:

“We identified 327 clinical cultures belonging to 231 unique patients. The number of clinical cultures increased each year, from 5 in 2019 to 29 in 2020 (580%), 71 in 2021 (251% relative to 2020), 107 in 2022 (46% relative to 2021), and 115 in 2023 (7% relative to 2022). Blood cultures were the most common source, but specimens originating from soft tissue/bone infections had a large increase in 2022 and 2023."

Read the article by Dr. Arias: https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(25)00114-2/abstract

Dr. Greg Vigna, national PICC line attorney, states, “Super-hydrophilic PICC lines are available that substantially reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections, as they prevent bacteria and platelets from adhering to the catheter. The cost versus the achieved benefits of these catheters has been proven. Despite the risk of multi-drug-resistant organisms that live in hospitals, patients are not getting the state-of-the-art devices to reduce these risks.”

Dr. Vigna concludes, “Candida bloodstream infections cause sepsis, septic shock, and have high mortality. PICC lines and central lines are significant risk factors for these serious medical conditions."

What is sepsis? Multiple organ damage caused by inflammation from an infection that may result in organ damage to brain, kidney, heart, liver, and lungs.

What is septic shock? A life-threatening condition that causes dangerously low blood pressure due to an infection that may result in amputations of fingers and toes, brain damage, kidney failure, ventilator dependence, oxygen dependence, and nerve damage.

Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington DC lawyer who represents those with serious injuries caused by defective medical devices including PICC line and Med-Ports that lead to sepsis. He represents the injured with the Ben Martin Law Group, a national pharmaceutical injury law firm in Dallas, Texas. The attorneys are product liability and medical malpractice attorneys, and they represent the most injured across the country.

Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 8178099023
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