title: [Endemic intravenous fluid contamination in pediatric wards].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the rate of contamination of intravenous solutions and injection ports in pediatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  During non-epidemic periods, eight pediatric wards in Mexican hospitals were studied. Qualitative cultures were performed from the surface of injection ports and from intravenous solutions in use in pediatric patients younger than 2 years, culturing 750 infusion systems from 728 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of contamination of intravenous solutions was 2.4% (18/750; CI 95%: 1.3% to 3.5%) and for injection ports it was 3.2% (24/750; CI 95%: 2.1% to 4.3%). Enterobacteriaceae predominated; in four cases the organisms isolated from the port and from the solutions were coincident (Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter sp.). The rate of contamination for solutions mixed in the wards was 5.1%, against 1.3% of those not mixed (chi2 = 9.19, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contamination of parenteral solutions is not a rare phenomenon and it could be related to inappropriate practices in the preparation of intravenous solutions and medications as well as the contamination of injection ports. In hospitals working with standards similar to those reported here, the monitoring of sterility of intravenous solutions could contribute to reduce the rate of nosocomial bacteremia.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Guanajuato, León. jmunozb@me.com
authors.forename: Juan Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Reynaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zapién
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ponce-De-León
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Juan Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mosqueda
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gallaga
authors.forename: Alejandro Ernesto
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Macías
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004340:Drug Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D010372:Pediatrics; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions