Abstract:
Background: Parenteral nutrition administered via central venous catheter is an established treatment option for people with intestinal failure. A serious complication of central venous catheters is the high risk of catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSI). Catheter locking solutions are one strategy for CRBSI prevention, with the solution taurolidine showing beneficial effects. The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify and synthesize evidence to assess taurolidine efficacy against comparators for the prevention of CRBSI for people with intestinal failure on parenteral nutrition.
Methods: Six health literature databases were searched for efficacy data of rate of CRBSI for taurolidine versus control among our study population, no study design limits were applied. Individual study data were presented for the number of CRBSI and catheter days, and rate ratio. Overall data were synthesized as a pooled risk ratio, with sub-group analysis by study design, control type, and taurolidine solution.
Results: Thirty-four studies were included in the final analysis. At the individual level all studies showed superior efficacy of taurolidine versus control for prevention of CRBSI. When the data were synthesized, the pooled risk ratio was 0.49 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.53, p=<0.0001), indicating a 51% decreased risk of CRBSI through the use of taurolidine. Sub-group analysis showed no difference depending on study design (p=0.23), or control type (p=0.37), and a significant difference for taurolidine type (p=0.0005).
Conclusion: Taurolidine showed superior efficacy over controls regardless of study design or comparator group. The results show that taurolidine provides effective CRBSI reduction for people with intestinal failure on parenteral nutrition.
Reference:Vernon-Roberts A, Lopez RN, Frampton CM, Day AS. Meta-analysis of the efficacy of taurolidine in reducing catheter-related bloodstream infections for patients receiving parenteral nutrition. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2022 Mar 1. doi: 10.1002/jpen.2363. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35233792.