3/2007Catheter-related infections in children with neoplasia

IRENA CHOROSZY-KRÓL (Zakład Nauk Podstawowych Wydziału Zdrowia Publicznego Akademii Medycznej we Wrocławiu; Kierownik: prof. dr hab. med. Irena Choroszy-Król)

Background
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Material and methods
The study involved 325 children aged from 1 month to 20 years treated in the Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Medical University of Wrocław because of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2004–2005. Data analysis was based on catheter standardized form, operative books and microbiological investigations.

Results
Infection as a main cause of catheter removal was found in 30 patients. Microbiological investigation of removed catheter was performed in 7 patients. In 4 of them catheter was colonized by bacteria whereas in 2 cases it was coagulase-negative staphylococcus (n = 3), E. coli bacilli (n = 2), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (n = 1) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 1) respectively. Gram-negative bacilli were mainly isolated from blood culture while in 2 cases yeast from the genus Candida. In 2 patients S. maltophilia and P. aeruginosa were isolated from both catheter tip and blood cultures. In 1 patient Staphylococcus sciuri, belonging to the group of staphylococci coagulase-negatives, was isolated from blood and from insertion site cultures.

Key words: central catheters, infections, children, neoplasia