Hub colonization of central line catheters in children with cancer

Abstract

18530 Background: Central venous catheter (CVC) hub sites provide bacterial access to the blood stream through migration along the external and internal surfaces of the catheter. Hub colonization rates vary from 29–38% in the adult literature. While pediatric studies were not found, one study reported the incidence of blood stream infections in neonates to be 30 times higher in catheters with hub colonization compared to catheter hubs that were not colonized. The purpose of this descriptive study was to obtain baseline cultures of CVC hubs to determine the incidence of colonization. Methods: Fifty-one catheter hub cultures were obtained from a convenience sample of 27 children with cancer. The mean age of the patients was 8.2 years (range 0.5–16.2 years); 77% were diagnosed with leukemia and 23% with solid tumors. Cultures were obtained by swabbing the threaded area of the catheter hub after removing the injection cap. A semi-quantitative culture for bacteria and fungus was obtained using standard laboratory procedures by a microbiologist. This study was conducted in a large urban hospital in the Southwest. Results: Fifty-seven percent of the hubs were culture positive. Of those positive cultures, 69%, 24%, 10% and 7% were colonized with 2, 3, 4 and 5 organisms, respectively. The most common organism cultured was coagulase negative staphylococcus. The only significant risk factor for this population was previous central venous catheter infections (p = 0.025). Sixty-nine percent of the lines were tunneled catheters. Central venous catheters were in place on an average of 75.3 days but this was not a factor in the colonization rate. Conclusions: The majority (57%) of the 51 central venous catheter hubs cultured were colonized with at least one organism. This study is the first to evaluate the rate of central venous catheter hub colonization in children with cancer. These findings support the need for more stringent guidelines for central venous catheter care. Further research evaluating the relationship between hub colonization and subsequent blood stream infection is needed. No significant financial relationships to disclose.