BACTERIAL-COLONIZATION AND PERIPHERAL BACTEREMIA ASSOCIATED WITH CENTRAL VENOUS HEMODIALYSIS CATHETERS - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Septicaemia related to internal luminal colonization of central venous catheters has been described in many clinical settings including haem odialysis. The prevalence and consequence of intraluminal colonization of central venous haemodialysis catheters is unknown. A cross-section al study of asymptomatic patients receiving haemodialysis through cent ral venous catheters was performed. Differential (central line and per ipheral) quantitative blood cultures were taken on three occasions. Tw enty-one patients were studied and 20 had colonized central venous cat heters. The organisms isolated were Coagulase negative Staphylococci ( 16 cases), Bacillus species (three), Corynebacterium (three), Pseudomo nas species (three), and others (three). Fifteen patients also had sig nificant peripheral bacteraemia associated with the same organism that was cultured from their central line. Seven patients had septic episo des associated with these same organisms. Swabs taken of the internal catheter surfaces also cultured these organisms. The vast majority (95 %) of central venous haemodialysis catheters are colonized by bacteria . Seventy-six per cent have associated peripheral bacteraemia, which c an lead to systemic infection.