title: Cultures of Needleless Connectors Are Useful for Ruling Out Central Venous Catheter Colonization.
abstract: Semiquantitative cultures of skin surrounding intravascular catheter entry sites and catheter hubs have high negative predictive values for catheter tip colonization. However, culturing samples from the inner side of the hub requires the catheter to be manipulated, thus increasing the risk of migration of microorganisms into the bloodstream. Today, hubs are closed using needleless connectors (NCs). Cultures of NCs could predict catheter colonization. Our objective was to compare the yield of NC sonicate cultures for prediction of catheter colonization with that of hub cultures. For 6 months, we prospectively collected all short-term central lines and systems removed from patients admitted to the cardiac surgery postoperative care unit, irrespective of the reason for withdrawal. Hub cultures were obtained immediately before withdrawal and were cultured using a semiquantitative method. Catheter tips were cultured using the roll-plate technique and sonication, and NCs were cultured using a semiquantitative technique after sonication. We considered NCs to be colonized when ≥1 culture was positive. We collected a total of 75 central systems. The catheter colonization rate was 10.7%. The rates for hub and NC colonization were 6.7% and 12.0%, respectively. The validity values for hubs and NCs for prediction of catheter colonization were as follows: sensitivity, 25.0% and 87.5%; specificity, 95.5% and 97.0%; positive predictive value, 40.0% and 77.8%; negative predictive value, 91.4% and 98.5%; validity index, 88.0% and 96.0%, respectively. Cultures of closed NCs can be used to rule out catheter tip colonization and are superior to hub cultures in ruling out short-term central venous catheter colonization.
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain mariaguembe@hotmail.com.
authors: María
authors: M
authors: Guembe
authors: CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias-CIBERES CB06/06/0058, Madrid, Spain Cardiac Surgery Postoperative Care Unit, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors: María Jesús
authors: MJ
authors: Pérez-Granda
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Raquel
authors: R
authors: Cruces
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias-CIBERES CB06/06/0058, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Martín-Rabadán
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias-CIBERES CB06/06/0058, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Emilio
authors: E
authors: Bouza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D062905:Central Venous Catheters / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018805:Sepsis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*