CENTRAL VENOUS CATHETER-RELATED SEPTICEMIA IN PEDIATRIC CANCER-PATIENTS

A prospective study of septicaemia, with special reference to central venous catheter (CVC)-related septicaemia, was performed over a nine-m onth period in paediatric cancer patients undergoing anti-neoplastic t herapy. A total of 142 patients with 153 CVCs were included in the stu dy. Seventy-two episodes of septicaemia were detected in 66 patients; overall, 46% of patients developed one or more episodes of septicaemia . Thirty-nine (54%) of. these episodes occurring in 34 patients were C VC-related. Twenty-one (29%) of the episodes occurring in twenty patie nts were probably unrelated to CVCs and 12 (17%) episodes in 12 patien ts were of uncertain source. A total of 22 932 CVC days were studied. The rate of CVC-related septicaemia was 1.7 episodes/1000 catheter day s. Gram-positive organisms were commonest, causing 34 (87%) episodes o f CVC-related septicaemia. Twenty-five (71%) of 35 evaluable episodes were successfully treated with antibiotics without CVC removal. Two pa tients died, CVC related sepsis probably contributing to death, and on e patient suffered prolonged morbidity associated with CVC sepsis. Gra m-negative organisms were the commonest cause of CVC-unrelated septica emia, being implicated in 13 (62%) episodes.