LEADING ARTICLE

Infection

Diagnosis, prevention, and management of catheter related bloodstream infection during long term parenteral nutrition

D Hodge, J W L Puntis

Department of Paediatrics, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr J W L Puntis, C Floor, Clarendon Wing, Leeds General Infirmary, Belmont Grove, Leeds LS2 9NS, UK;
puntisj@ulth.northy.nhs.uk

---

Central venous catheter related bloodstream infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality

---

Keywords: catheter; bloodstream infection; parenteral nutrition

Abbreviations: AOLC, acridine orange leucocyte cytospin test; CFU, colony forming unit; CR-BSI, catheter related bloodstream infection; CVC, central venous catheter; PN, parenteral nutrition

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Central venous catheters (CVC) are widely used in children receiving long term parenteral nutrition (PN). They provide secure venous access and allow safe administration of hypertonic solutions. However, catheter related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI) is a serious and potentially life threatening complication.^1,2 Evidence based guidelines for the prevention of CR-BSI have recently been published by the Department of Health.³ These focus on hospital acquired infection in patients of 4 years and above, and do not address the important issues of diagnosis and treatment. The clinical features are often non-specific and up to 85% of those catheters removed on clinical grounds alone are subsequently proven to be sterile.⁴ The clinician suspecting CR-BSI is presented with a difficult dilemma given that CVC removal results in loss of venous access, while an infected catheter left in situ may lead to overwhelming sepsis. Until recently, standard techniques for diagnosing CR-BSI involved catheter removal. However, . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Fantoms

Ben Stenson
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2002 87: F2. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kakzanov, V., Monagle, P., Chan, A. K. C. (2008). Thromboembolism in Infants and Children With Gastrointestinal Failure Receiving Long-Term Parenteral Nutrition. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 32: 88-93 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nistala, K, Nicholl, R (2003). Should preterm neonates with a central venous catheter and coagulase negative staphylococcal bacteraemia be treated without removal of the catheter?. Arch. Dis. Child. 88: 458-459 [Full Text]  
• Nicholl, R, Nistala, K (2003). Risks of treating infected neonatal lines. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 88: F163-F163 [Full Text]  

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Risks of treating infected neonatal lines

Kiran Nistala, et al.

Fetal Neonatal Ed. Online, 6 Sep 2002 [Full text]

Catheter related blood stream infection in children receiving long term parenteral nutrition

John W Puntis, et al.

Fetal Neonatal Ed. Online, 6 Sep 2002 [Full text]