The type of dressing selected for intravascular catheters may influence costs and complications. We carried out a clinical trial to compare the safety and costs of transparent and gauze dressings. We did not find differences in complication rates between transparent (34.1%) and gauze (26.5%) dressings (P = .62). The total cost per patient was $24.82 for transparent and $38.85 for gauze. The results indicate similar safety but increased cost associated with gauze dressings.