Quantitative blood cultures for diagnosis and management of catheter-related sepsis in pediatric hematology and oncology patients

Paired quantitative blood cultures collected simultaneously via catheter and peripheral vein in Isolator 1.5 ml tubes, were performed in 50 febrile hematology children. Samples were taken to diagnose catheter-related sepsis (CRS) without catheter removal and to monitor the therapeutic efficiency of antimicrobials administered through the infected device by infusion and/or by the antibiotic lock technique (ALT). In 7 children (14%) the colony counts from catheter blood samples were 30-fold higher than the colony counts from peripheral samples, suggesting CRS; in 7 other patients (14%), identical colony counts in both samples suggested sepsis was not catheter-related. One patient (2%) had septicemia caused by E. coli found in the urinary tract; only the peripheral blood cultures were positive. In 6 patients (12%), the Isolator system was not effective for diagnosing bacteremia or CRS; in 29 patients (58%) the febrile episode was not microbiologically documented. All episodes of CRS were cured whatever the treatment was: infusion or ALT.