Regular Article
A Novel Serological Test for the Diagnosis of Central Venous Catheter-associated Sepsis

https://doi.org/10.1053/jinf.2000.0656Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of a novel antibody test for the diagnosis of intravascular catheter-related infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Methods: Sixty-seven patients diagnosed as having central venous catheter (CVC)-associated sepsis based on strict clinical criteria, including positive blood cultures, were compared to 67 patients with a CVC in situ who exhibited no evidence of sepsis. An ELISA serological test based on a novel short-chain lipoteichoic acid antigen isolated from coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) was used to determine the patient's serological response (IgG and IgM) to CVC sepsis caused by CNS. The specificity and sensitivity of the test was determined.

Results: There was a significant increase in the antibody levels (IgG and IgM) to the short-chain lipoteichoic acid in patients with CVC-associated staphylococcal sepsis as compared to the control patients.

Conclusions: This new serological method may offer a useful diagnostic test for intravascular catheter infections caused by staphylococci.

References (19)

  • TSJ Elliott et al.

    Prevention of central venous catheter-related infection

    J Hosp Infect

    (1998)
  • I Raad et al.

    Quantitative tip culture methods and the diagnosis of CVC-related infection

    Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis

    (1992)
  • TSJ Elliott et al.

    Infections and intravascular devices

    Br J Hosp Med

    (1992)
  • S Smitt et al.

    Poor correlation between clinical judgement and microbiologic confirmation of catheter related bacteraemia due to CNS (Abstract)

    Programs and abstracts of the 94th meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Las Vegas.

    (1994)
  • TSJ Elliott

    Line associated bacteraemias

    Communicable Disease report

    (1993)
  • WE Kloos et al.

    Update on clinical significance of coagulase negative staphylococci

    Clin Microbiol Rev

    (1994)
  • JA Capedevila et al.

    Value of differential quantitative blood culture in the diagnosis of catheter related sepsis

    Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis

    (1992)
  • AM Cyna et al.

    Routine replacement of central venous catheters: telephone survey of intensive care units in mainland Britain

    BMJ

    (1998)
  • TSJ Elliott et al.

    Use of antimicrobial catheters needs to undergo trials

    BMJ

    (1998)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

f1

Address correspondence to: Professor T. S. J. Elliot, Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, U.K.

View full text