The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published the first global guidelines to prevent bloodstream and other infections caused by catheters placed in minor blood vessels during medical procedures.

The organisation made this known in a statement on Thursday, adding that poor practice in the insertion, maintenance, and removal of catheters carries a high risk of introducing germs directly into the bloodstream

It said, “This can lead to serious conditions such as sepsis and difficult-to-treat complications in major organs like the brain and kidneys.”