Skip to main content

Use of Ethanol Lock Therapy for Children with Intestinal Failure on Long-Term Parenteral Nutrition

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Diet and Nutrition in Critical Care
  • 127 Accesses

Abstract

Children with intestinal failure are often dependent on long-term central venous catheters for delivery of all or a portion of their fluid and caloric requirements. Unfortunately, they are at high risk for catheter-associated complications, most commonly infection. Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) can be difficult to treat and can lead to systemic sepsis and critical illness in this patient population. This chapter discusses the role for ethanol lock therapy (ELT) in both the prevention and treatment of CRBSI in children with intestinal failure. The safety and efficacy of this therapy is discussed and the details for use in the pediatric population are provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CRBSI:

Catheter-related bloodstream infection

CVC:

Central venous catheter

ELT:

Ethanol lock therapy

IF:

Intestinal failure

IFALD:

Intestinal failure-associated liver disease

PN:

Parenteral nutrition

References

  • Beath S, Pironi L, Gabe S, et al. Collaborative strategies to reduce mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic intestinal failure including those who are referred for small bowel transplantation. Transplantation. 2008;85(10):1378–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blackwood RA, Klein KC, Micel LN, et al. Ethanol locks therapy for resolution of fungal catheter infections. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011;30(12):1105–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Broom J, Woods M, Allworth A, et al. Ethanol lock therapy to treat tunnelled central venous catheter-associated blood stream infections: results from a prospective trial. Scand J Infect Dis. 2008;40(5):399–406.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Broom JK, Krishnasamy R, Hawley CM, Playford EG, Johnson DW. A randomised controlled trial of Heparin versus EthAnol Lock THerapY for the prevention of Catheter Associated infecTion in Haemodialysis patients – the HEALTHY-CATH trial. BMC Nephrol. 2012;13:146.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burrows PE, Mason KP. Percutaneous treatment of low flow vascular malformations. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2004;15(5):431–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Casey L, Lee KH, Rosychuk R, Turner J, Huynh HQ. 10-year review of pediatric intestinal failure: clinical factors associated with outcome. Nutr Clin Pract. 2008;23(4):436–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers ST, Peddie B, Pithie A. Ethanol disinfection of plastic-adherent micro-organisms. J Hosp Infect. 2006;63(2):193–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chu HP, Brind J, Tomar R, Hill S. Significant reduction in central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections in children on HPN after starting treatment with taurolidine line lock. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012;55(4):403–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cober MP, Johnson CE. Stability of 70 % alcohol solutions in polypropylene syringes for use in ethanol-lock therapy. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2007;64(23):2480–2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cober MP, Kovacevich DS, Teitelbaum DH. Ethanol-lock therapy for the prevention of central venous access device infections in pediatric patients with intestinal failure. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2011;35(1):67–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crnich CJ, Halfmann JA, Crone WC, Maki DG. The effects of prolonged ethanol exposure on the mechanical properties of polyurethane and silicone catheters used for intravascular access. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2005;26(8):708–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dannenberg C, Bierbach U, Rothe A, Beer J, Korholz D. Ethanol-lock technique in the treatment of bloodstream infections in pediatric oncology patients with broviac catheter. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2003;25(8):616–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diamanti A, Basso MS, Castro M, Calce A, Pietrobattista A, Gambarara M. Prevalence of life-threatening complications in pediatric patients affected by intestinal failure. Transplant Proc. 2007;39(5):1632–3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drews BB, Sanghavi R, Siegel JD, Metcalf P, Mittal NK. Characteristics of catheter-related bloodstream infections in children with intestinal failure: implications for clinical management. Gastroenterol Nurs. 2009;32(6):385–90. quiz 391–382.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garland JS, Alex CP, Henrickson KJ, McAuliffe TL, Maki DG. A vancomycin-heparin lock solution for prevention of nosocomial bloodstream infection in critically ill neonates with peripherally inserted central venous catheters: a prospective, randomized trial. Pediatrics. 2005;116(2):e198–205.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guenu S, Heng AE, Charbonne F, et al. Mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy study of silicone tunneled dialysis catheter integrity after an exposure of 15 days to 60 % ethanol solution. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2007;21(2):229–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hammer FD, Boon LM, Mathurin P, Vanwijck RR. Ethanol sclerotherapy of venous malformations: evaluation of systemic ethanol contamination. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2001;12(5):595–600.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Handrup MM, Moller JK, Schroder H. Central venous catheters and catheter locks in children with cancer: a prospective randomized trial of taurolidine versus heparin. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2013;60:1292–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ireton-Jones C, DeLegge M. Home parenteral nutrition registry: a five-year retrospective evaluation of outcomes of patients receiving home parenteral nutrition support. Nutrition. 2005;21(2):156–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • John BK, Khan MA, Speerhas R, et al. Ethanol lock therapy in reducing catheter-related bloodstream infections in adult home parenteral nutrition patients: results of a retrospective study. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2012;36(5):603–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones BA, Hull MA, Richardson DS, et al. Efficacy of ethanol locks in reducing central venous catheter infections in pediatric patients with intestinal failure. J Pediatr Surg. 2010;45(6):1287–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman SS, Atkinson JB, Bianchi A, et al. Indications for pediatric intestinal transplantation: a position paper of the American Society of Transplantation. Pediatr Transplant. 2001;5(2):80–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kayton ML, Garmey EG, Ishill NM, et al. Preliminary results of a phase I trial of prophylactic ethanol-lock administration to prevent mediport catheter-related bloodstream infections. J Pediatr Surg. 2010;45(10):1961–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kline AM. Pediatric catheter-related bloodstream infections: latest strategies to decrease risk. AACN Clin Issues. 2005;16(2):185–98; quiz 272–184.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee OK, Johnston L. A systematic review for effective management of central venous catheters and catheter sites in acute care paediatric patients. Worldviews Evid-Based Nurs/Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing. 2005;2(1):4–13; discussion 14–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maiefski M, Rupp ME, Hermsen ED. Ethanol lock technique: review of the literature. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2009;30(11):1096–108.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGrath EJ, Salloum R, Chen X, et al. Short-dwell ethanol lock therapy in children is associated with increased clearance of central line-associated bloodstream infections. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2011;50(10):943–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mermel LA, Allon M, Bouza E, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of intravascular catheter-related infection: 2009 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2009;49(1):1–45.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Metcalf SC, Chambers ST, Pithie AD. Use of ethanol locks to prevent recurrent central line sepsis. J Infect. 2004;49(1):20–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mouw E, Chessman K, Lesher A, Tagge E. Use of an ethanol lock to prevent catheter-related infections in children with short bowel syndrome. J Pediatr Surg. 2008;43(6):1025–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Grady NP, Alexander M, Dellinger EP, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections. The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Pediatrics. 2002;110(5):e51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira C, Nasr A, Brindle M, Wales PW. Ethanol locks to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections in parenteral nutrition: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2012;129(2):318–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olthof ED, Rentenaar RJ, Rijs AJ, Wanten GJ. Absence of microbial adaptation to taurolidine in patients on home parenteral nutrition who develop catheter related bloodstream infections and use taurolidine locks. Clin Nutr. 2012;32:538–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Onland W, Shin CE, Fustar S, Rushing T, Wong WY. Ethanol-lock technique for persistent bacteremia of long-term intravascular devices in pediatric patients. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160(10):1049–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Opilla MT, Kirby DF, Edmond MB. Use of ethanol lock therapy to reduce the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections in home parenteral nutrition patients. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2007;31(4):302–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pennington CR, Pithie AD. Ethanol lock in the management of catheter occlusion. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 1987;11(5):507–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peters BM, Ward RM, Rane HS, Lee SA, Noverr MC. Efficacy of ethanol against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus polymicrobial biofilms. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013;57(1):74–82.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pieroni KP, Nespor C, Ng M, et al. Evaluation of ethanol lock therapy in pediatric patients on long-term parenteral nutrition. Nutr Clin Pract. 2013a;28(2):226–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pieroni KP, Nespor C, Poole RL, Kerner Jr JA, Berquist WE. Echinocandin and ethanol lock therapy treatment of fungal catheter infections. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2013b;32(3):289–91.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Piper HG, de Silva NT, Amaral JG, Avitzur Y, Wales PW. Peripherally inserted central catheters for long-term parenteral nutrition in infants with intestinal failure. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2013;56(5):578–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ralls MW, Blackwood RA, Arnold MA, Partipilo ML, Dimond J, Teitelbaum DH. Drug shortage-associated increase in catheter-related blood stream infection in children. Pediatrics. 2012;130(5):e1369–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders J, Pithie A, Ganly P, et al. A prospective double-blind randomized trial comparing intraluminal ethanol with heparinized saline for the prevention of catheter-associated bloodstream infection in immunosuppressed haematology patients. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2008;62(4):809–15.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shah CB, Mittelman MW, Costerton JW, et al. Antimicrobial activity of a novel catheter lock solution. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2002;46(6):1674–9.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slobbe L, Doorduijn JK, Lugtenburg PJ, et al. Prevention of catheter-related bacteremia with a daily ethanol lock in patients with tunnelled catheters: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2010;5(5):e10840.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snaterse M, Ruger W, Scholte O, Reimer WJ, Lucas C. Antibiotic-based catheter lock solutions for prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infection: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. J Hosp Infect. 2010;75(1):1–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Terra RM, Plopper C, Waitzberg DL, et al. Remaining small bowel length: association with catheter sepsis in patients receiving home total parenteral nutrition: evidence of bacterial translocation. World J Surg. 2000;24(12):1537–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Valentine KM. Ethanol lock therapy for catheter-associated blood stream infections in a pediatric intensive care unit. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2011;12(6):e292–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wales PW, de Silva N, Kim JH, Lecce L, Sandhu A, Moore AM. Neonatal short bowel syndrome: a cohort study. J Pediatr Surg. 2005;40(5):755–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wales PW, Kosar C, Carricato M, de Silva N, Lang K, Avitzur Y. Ethanol lock therapy to reduce the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections in home parenteral nutrition patients with intestinal failure: preliminary experience. J Pediatr Surg. 2011;46(5):951–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watson RW, Redmond HP, Mc Carthy J, Bouchier-Hayes D. Taurolidine, an antilipopolysaccharide agent, has immunoregulatory properties that are mediated by the amino acid taurine. J Leukoc Biol. 1995;58(3):299–306.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wong GA, Armstrong DC, Robertson JM. Cardiovascular collapse during ethanol sclerotherapy in a pediatric patient. Paediatr Anaesth. 2006;16(3):343–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wong T, Clifford V, McCallum Z, et al. Central venous catheter thrombosis associated with 70 % ethanol locks in pediatric intestinal failure patients on home parenteral nutrition: a case series. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2012;36(3):358–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul W. Wales .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Cite this entry

Piper, H.G., Wales, P.W. (2014). Use of Ethanol Lock Therapy for Children with Intestinal Failure on Long-Term Parenteral Nutrition. In: Rajendram, R., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Diet and Nutrition in Critical Care. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8503-2_15-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8503-2_15-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-8503-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics