Complete every field on the left to calculate the score.
| Criterion | Value | Threshold | Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBC count | — | > 10.58 | · |
| Anemia | — | present | · |
| Heart rate | — | > 84.5 | · |
| Diabetes mellitus | — | present | · |
| BMI (calculated) | — | > 22.59 | · |
Suggested actions
Results will appear once the score is calculated.- Fill in all fields to see tailored, easy-to-follow recommendations for this patient.
What the WATCH score does
Central venous catheters (CVC) are widely used for hemodialysis vascular access but carry a substantial risk of central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Although current international guidelines recommend a standardized preventive care bundle for all patients with central venous catheters, they do not provide a practical bedside tool for identifying individuals at increased risk who may benefit from intensified preventive measures.
The WATCH score was developed from a retrospective cohort of 250 hemodialysis patients with a central dialysis catheter, of whom 104 (41.6%) developed CLABSI. Five routinely available variables were combined into a simple additive score, where one point is given for each criterion that is met.
The resulting score (0–5) places a patient into a low, moderate, or high CLABSI-risk category, each linked to a simple set of suggested actions for catheter care and monitoring.
Reference & methodology
- O’Grady NP. Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections (2011). 2011.
- Ling ML, Apisarnthanarak A, Ching P, Chen YC, Harrington G, Huh JW, et al. APSIC revised guidelines for prevention of central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI): a summary and position statement. Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol. 2026 Feb 3;6(1):e39. doi:10.1017/ash.2026.10298 PubMed PMID: 41658317; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12877909.
- Practice Guidelines for Central Venous Access 2020: An Updated Report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Central Venous Access. Anesthesiology. 2020 Jan;132(1):8–43. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000002864 PubMed PMID: 31821240.
- Buetti N, Marschall J, Drees M, Fakih MG, Hadaway L, Maragakis LL, et al. Strategies to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections in acute-care hospitals: 2022 Update. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. 2022 May;43(5):553–69. doi:10.1017/ice.2022.87
- World Health Organization, editor. Guidelines for the prevention of bloodstream infections and other infections associated with the use of intravascular catheters: part 1: Peripheral catheters. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024. 1 p.
- Kusek L. Preventing Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections. Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 2012 Oct;27(4):283–7. doi:10.1097/NCQ.0b013e31825733d1