TY - JOUR
T1 - Semiquantitative cultures of intravascular catheters from cancer patients
AU - Jones, Paula G.
AU - Hopfer, Roy L.
AU - Elting, Linda
AU - Jackson, Julie A.
AU - Fainstein, Victor
AU - Bodey, Gerald P.
PY - 1986/1/1
Y1 - 1986/1/1
N2 - Three-hundred seventy-nine catheter tips were prospectively cultured by both a semiquantitative method and by broth culture, over a 2-month period. One hundred eleven of the catheters were culture-positive in broth, and 47 of these were also culture-positive by the semiquantitative method. Clinical signs of infection were reviewed for the 111 culture-positive catheters and for 50 of the 268 culture-negative catheters. Both culture-positive and culture-negative catheters were infrequently associated with local signs of infection (10% and 12%, respectively). Culture-positive catheters, however, were more likely to be associated with systemic signs of infection than were culture-negative catheters (15% and 2%, respectively). Among the culture-positive catheters, those that yielded ≥15 colonies on semiquantitative culture were more likely to be associated with septicemias than were those with <15 colonies (22% and 6%, respectively). Nevertheless, there were five catheter-related bacteremias that were associated with catheters which were culture-negative on semiquantitative culture but culture-positive in broth. The proportion of patients with culture-positive and culture-negative catheters who were febrile was similar (30% and 42%, respectively). Semiquantitative cultures of catheters from cancer patients are useful, but the result should be interpreted with some caution.
AB - Three-hundred seventy-nine catheter tips were prospectively cultured by both a semiquantitative method and by broth culture, over a 2-month period. One hundred eleven of the catheters were culture-positive in broth, and 47 of these were also culture-positive by the semiquantitative method. Clinical signs of infection were reviewed for the 111 culture-positive catheters and for 50 of the 268 culture-negative catheters. Both culture-positive and culture-negative catheters were infrequently associated with local signs of infection (10% and 12%, respectively). Culture-positive catheters, however, were more likely to be associated with systemic signs of infection than were culture-negative catheters (15% and 2%, respectively). Among the culture-positive catheters, those that yielded ≥15 colonies on semiquantitative culture were more likely to be associated with septicemias than were those with <15 colonies (22% and 6%, respectively). Nevertheless, there were five catheter-related bacteremias that were associated with catheters which were culture-negative on semiquantitative culture but culture-positive in broth. The proportion of patients with culture-positive and culture-negative catheters who were febrile was similar (30% and 42%, respectively). Semiquantitative cultures of catheters from cancer patients are useful, but the result should be interpreted with some caution.
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U2 - 10.1016/0732-8893(86)90070-2
DO - 10.1016/0732-8893(86)90070-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 3698543
AN - SCOPUS:0022531157
SN - 0732-8893
VL - 4
SP - 299
EP - 306
JO - Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
JF - Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
IS - 4
ER -