Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Value of differential quantitative blood cultures in the diagnosis of catheter-related sepsis

  • Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A prospective study was performed to assess the value of differential quantitative blood cultures in the diagnosis of catheter-related sepsis when this condition is suspected on clinical grounds and to establish a reliable discriminative value for application without removal of the inserted catheter. A total of 107 central venous catheters from 64 patients were used for the study. Blood was obtained simultaneously through the suspected infected device and from a peripheral venipuncture. The catheter was removed and its tip cultured semiquantitatively. Catheter-related sepsis occurred in 17 patients. Using as cut-off value a colony count fourfold higher in blood drawn through the catheter than in simultaneously drawn peripheral blood, a sensitivity of 94 %, specificity of 100 % and positive predictive value of 100 % were obtained. A single bacterial count > 100 cfu/ml in the quantitative culture of the catheter blood specimen in the presence of a positive qualitative peripheral blood culture of the same organism was also highly suggestive of catheter-related sepsis. Differential quantitative blood culture is a reliable method for the diagnosis of catheter-associated sepsis without catheter removal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Stamm WE: Infections related with medical devices. Annals of Internal Medicine 1978, 89: 764–769.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ryan JA, Abel RM, Abbott WM, Hopkins CC, McC. Chesney T, Colley R, Phillips K, Fischer J: Catheter complications in total parenteral nutrition. A prospective study of 200 consecutive patients. New England Journal of Medicine 1974, 290: 757–761.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Derbyshire PJ, Weightman NC, Speller DC: Problems associated with indwelling central venous catheter. Archives of Diseases in Childhood 1986, 60: 129–134.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Corona ML, Peters SG, Narr BJ, Thompson RL: Infections related to central venous catheters. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 1990, 65: 979–986.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wing EJ, Norden CW, Shadduck RK, Winkelstein A: Use of quantitative bacteriologic techniques to diagnosis catheter-related sepsis. Archives of Internal Medicine 1979, 139: 482–483.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Andremont A, Paulet R, Nitenberg G, Hill C: Value of semiquantitative cultures of blood drawn through catheter hubs for estimating the risk of catheter tip colonization in cancer patients. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1988, 26: 2297–2299.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Benezra D, Kiehn TE, Gold JWM, Brown AE, Tirnbull ADM, Armstrong D: Prospective study of infections in indwelling central venous catheters using quantitative blood cultures. American Journal of Medicine 1989, 85: 495–498.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fan ST, Teoh-Chan CH, Lau KF: Evaluation of central venous catheter sepsis by differential quantitative blood culture. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 1989, 8: 142–144.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Flynn PM, Shenep JL, Barrett FF: Differential quantitation with a commercial blood culture tube for diagnosis of catheter-related infection. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1988, 2: 1045–1046.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Mosca R, Curtas S, Forbes B, Meguid MM: The benefits of Isolator cultures in the management of suspected catheter sepsis. Surgery 1987, 102: 718–720.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Moyer MA, Edwards LD, Farley L: Comparative culture methods on 101 intravenous catheters. Archives of Internal Medicine 1983, 143: 66–69.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Padberg FT, Ruggiero J, Blackburn GL, Bistrian GR: Central venous catheterization for parenteral nutrition. Annals of Surgery 1981, 193: 264–270.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Paya CV, Guerra L, Marsh HM, Farnell MB, Washington J, Thompson RL: Limited usefulness of quantitative culture of blood drawn through the device for diagnosis of intravascular device-related bacteremia. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1989, 27: 1431–1433.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Raucher HS, Hyatt AC, Barzilai A, Harris MB, Weiner MA, LeLeiko NS, Hodes DS: Quantitative blood cultures in the evaluation of septicemia in children with Broviac catheters. Journal of Pediatrics 1984, 104: 29–33.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Weightman NC, Simpson EM, Speller DCE, Mott MG, Okhill A: Bacteremia related to indwelling central venous catheters: prevention, diagnosis and treatment. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 1988, 7: 125–129.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Whimbey E, Wong B, Kiehn TE, Armstrong D: Clinical correlations of serial quantitative blood cultures determined by lysis-centrifugation in patients with persistent septicemia. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1984, 19: 766–771.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Collignon PJ, Munro R: Laboratory diagnosis of intravascular catheter associated sepsis. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 1989, 8: 807–814.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Maki DG, Weise CE, Serafin HW: A semiquantitative culture method for identifying intravenous-catheter-related infection. New England Journal of Medicine 1977, 296: 1305–1309.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Cleri DJ, Corrado ML, Seligman SJ: Quantitative culture of intravenous catheters and other intravascular inserts. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1980, 141: 781–786.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Syndman DR, Gorbea HF, Poberr BR, Makja JA, Murray SA, Perry LK: Predictive value of surveillance skin cultures in total-parenteral nutrition-related infection. Lancet 1982, ii: 1385–1388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Liñares J, Sitges-Serra A, Garau J, Pérez JL, Martín R: Pathogenesis of catheter sepsis: a prospective study with quantitative and semiquantitative cultures of catheter hub and segments. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1985, 21: 357–360.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Cercenado E, Ena J, Rodríguez-Créixems M, Romero I, Bouza E: A conservative procedure for the diagnosis of catheter-related infections. Archives of Internal Medicine 1990, 150: 1417–1420.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Brun-Buisson C: Limitations of semiquantitative method for catheter culture. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1988, 26: 1075.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Collignon PJ, Soni N, Pearson IY, Woods WP, Munro R, Sorrell TC: Is semiquantitative culture of central vein catheter tips useful in the diagnosis of catheter-associated bacteremia? Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1986, 24: 532–535.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Cooper G, Hopkins CC: Rapid diagnosis of intravascular catheter-associated infections by direct gram staining of catheter segments. New England Journal of Medicine 1985, 312: 1142–1146.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine-Infectious Diseases, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    J. A. Capdevila, B. Almirante, A. Pahissa & J. M. Martínez-Vázquez

  2. Department of Microbiology, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    A. M. Planes, I. Gasser & E. Crespo

  3. Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    M. Palomar

Authors
  1. J. A. Capdevila
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. M. Planes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Palomar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. I. Gasser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. B. Almirante
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. Pahissa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. E. Crespo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. J. M. Martínez-Vázquez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Capdevila, J.A., Planes, A.M., Palomar, M. et al. Value of differential quantitative blood cultures in the diagnosis of catheter-related sepsis. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 11, 403–407 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01961854

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01961854

Keywords

Search

Navigation