Abstract
Semiquantitative cultures were compared with blood cultures during one year in order to see if the routine use of a semiquantitative catheter culture method (SQC) in unselected patients can detect or predict infection associated with central venous catheters. Catheter infection, i.e. ≥ 15 colony forming units (cfu) per plate, occurred in 137 of 542 catheter tips (25%), mainly with coagulase‐negative staphylococci. Catheter‐associated bacteremia occurred in 17 of 93 cases (18%) where blood cultures had been drawn. In 15 of these, the catheter tip grew ≥ 15 cfu. The predictive value for bacteremia of a positive SQC was only 21%. SQC is not a suitable method for the detection of catheter‐associated bacteremia, but may be an indicator of the standard of cental venous catheter hygiene.
Keywords
BacteremiaCentral venous catheterMedicineCatheterIntensive care medicineRadiologyMicrobiologyAntibioticsBiology
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Publication Info
- Year
- 1991
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 99
- Issue
- 7-12
- Pages
- 627-630
- Citations
- 21
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
Ewa Aufwerber,
S Ringertz,
Ulrika Ransjö
(1991).
Routine semiquantitative cultures and central venous catheter‐related bacteremia.
Apmis
, 99
(7-12)
, 627-630.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1699-0463.1991.tb01237.x
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1991.tb01237.x