Diagnosis of central venous catheter-related sepsis. Critical level of quantitative tip cultures
- 1 May 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of internal medicine (1960)
- Vol. 147 (5) , 873-877
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.147.5.873
Abstract
The results of a simplified quantitative broth dilution quantitative tip culture (QTC) of 331 central venous catheters were compared with clinical data prospectively recorded in critically ill patients to diagnose bacteremic or nonbacteremic catheter-related sepsis (CRS) (36 catheters), as opposed to contamination (42 catheters) or simple colonization from a distant septic focus (seven catheters). Thirty-five of 36 catheters associated with CRS yielded 103 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) or more, and 3.8 .times. 102 Candida organisms grew from one. In contrst, 5 .times. 102 CFU/mL or less grew from 37 of 42 contaminated catheters. A QTC of 103 CFU/mL or more was 97.5% sensitive and 88% specific for the diagnosis of CRS. The QTC appeared especially useful for the diagnosis of CRS secondary to blood-borne seedling of catheters, or associated with coagulase-negative staphylococci.This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Infection Control in Intravenous TherapyAnnals of Internal Medicine, 1973