 Salvaging catheters. In the past, infected catheters were routinely removed, especially for Staphylococcus aureus infections, per the CDC guidelines. However, recent small studies indicate that strategies such as ALS packing or changing catheter over a guide wire can salvage a significant fraction of these catheters, thereby saving expense and morbidity, and preserving the site. Thrombotic occlusions and infection are the two most common complications of the HD catheters, each predisposing to the other. Some studies have shown that ALS packing has also improved the long-term catheter function by preventing the formation and propagation of the biofilm. Studying this aspect of catheter maintenance is also an important outcome for our proposed study. 