Abstract

During a two and one-half year period, three episodes of bacteremia were associated with the use of scalp-vein needles. One was apparently part of the recent nationwide outbreak of septicemia due to contaminated intravenous fluid bottles. The other two occurred in patients with a paucity of peripheral veins who received intravenous fluids over a prolonged period through a single scalp-vein needle. The implicated organisms were Klebsiella and Enterobacter. Indirect estimates suggest that the risk of complicating bacteremia may be 75 times greater for intravenous catheters than for scalp-vein needles. Nevertheless, since bacteremia is a hazard of the use of scalp-vein needles, local care should be meticulous and administration sites should be changed every 48 to 72 hours.