Collodion as a safe, cost-effective dressing for central venous catheters.

Catheter-related sepsis continues to be a major problem with the use of central venous catheters. Controversy exists with respect to dressing material and frequency of dressing changes. Collodion is a solution of pyroxylin in a solution of 75% ether and 25% alcohol. Camphor and castor oil are added to create a flexible noncontracting dressing when applied to the skin. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 34 patients requiring central venous catheters between 1986 and 1988. All catheters were placed via the subclavian approach. Collodion was used as a dressing on all patients. Dressings were not routinely changed. The catheters remained in position an average of 16.5 days. No insertion site became infected; one episode of catheter-related sepsis occurred, and two catheters were inadvertently dislodged. The overall incidence of catheter-related sepsis was 2.9%.