MALASSEZIA FURFUR-RELATED COLONIZATION AND INFECTION OF CENTRAL VENOUS CATHETERS - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY IN A PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT

Objective: To determine the incidence of Malassezia furfur-related col onization and infection of central venous catheters. Design: Prospecti ve clinical study. Setting: A paediatric intensive care unit at a Univ ersity Hospital. Patients: 66 newborns with central venous catheters f or parenteral nutrition including lipid emulsions (Intralipid (R)). Me thods: When a central venous catheter was removed, it was rinsed with 1 mi of physiological saline, transported at ambient temperature to th e clinical laboratory and cultured on Dixon's medium. The tip of the c entral venous catheter was used for a bacteriological study using Maki 's technique. In case of suspected sepsis, blood cultures were obtaine d using an Isolator (R) tube. Results. 74 central venous catheters wer e included: mean duration of use of a central venous catheters and inf usions of lipid emulsion (Intralipid (R)) were 19.3 +/- 10 days and 8. 6 +/- 8 days respectively. Only 2 central venous catheters (2.7%) were colonized by Malassezia furfur: (Mf) one in an asymptomatic newborn, and the other in an infected newborn with signs of sepsis, who most pr obably died at 4 months of age from refractory hypoxia due to pulmonar y hypoplasia, but not from Mf sepsis. Conclusions: The incidence of Ma lassezia furfur-related colonization of central venous catheters appea rs to be low but not negligible, which warrants the use of specific cu lture techniques.