Bloodstream Infections In Children Research Articles

Catheter-related bloodstream infections in children with intestinal failure: a 6-year review from an intestinal rehabilitation center in China.

Children with intestinal failure (IF) have frequent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). This study aimed to analyze the clinical presentation and laboratory parameters of CRBSIs in children with IF. This 6-year retrospective study was conducted among IF children with CRBSIs at an intestinal rehabilitation center in China. Clinical data were collected, including data of temperature and gastrointestinal symptoms. Blood/catheter culture, fecal tests, and calculation of inflammatory index were performed, which were obtained within 1 week since CRBSI onset. Fifty children with 87 CRBSIs were identified, of which there were 17 suspected and 70 confirmed cases. Seventy-two pathogens were cultured from 70 positive blood cultures: 63% were Gram-positive organisms, 23% were Gram-negative organisms, and 11% were fungal organisms. Overall, 48.6% were enteric organisms; 47.2% of bacterial pathogens were consistent between fecal and blood cultures. Moreover, 46.3% fecal routines showed abnormalities including increased white blood cells, occult blood positive and the presence of fat droplets. The consistent symptom at onset of CRBSIs was fever and gastrointestinal symptoms including increased stool output, abdominal distension, or both. C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were elevated, i.e., 16.5mg/L [interquartile range (IQR) 8.7-44.7] and 0.48ng/mL (IQR 0.2-1.76), respectively. IF children had a high rate of CRBSIs, of which larger proportions were due to Gram-positive and enteric organisms. Fever and/or gastrointestinal symptoms, combined with elevated CRP and PCT, is conducive to the early diagnosis of CRBSIs in IF patients.

Bloodstream Infections in Children With Sickle Cell Disease: 2010-2019.

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk for bloodstream infections (BSIs), mainly because of functional asplenia. Immunizations and antibiotic prophylaxis have reduced the prevalence of invasive bacterial infections, but contemporary analysis of BSI in children with SCD is limited. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children aged <18 years with SCD who had blood cultures collected at our institution from 2010 to 2019 to identify BSI. Probable contaminant organisms were identified and not included as BSI. We calculated the annual incidence of BSI at our institution with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and used multivariate logistic regression to evaluate associations. There were 2694 eligible patients with 19 902 blood cultures. Excluding repeated cultures and contaminant cultures, there were 156 BSI episodes in 144 patients. The median age at BSI was 7.5 years. The average incidence rate of BSI was 0.89 per 100 person-years (95% CI 0.45-1.32). The most common pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (16.0%), Streptococcus viridans group (9.0%), Escherichia coli (9.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.7%), Bordetella holmesii (7.7%), Haemophilus influenzae (7.1%), and Salmonella species (6.4%). Odds of BSI were higher with sickle cell anemia genotypes (odds ratio [OR] 1.88; 95% CI 1.20-2.94) and chronic transfusions (OR 2.66; 95% CI 1.51-4.69) and lower with hydroxyurea (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.39-0.84). BSI remains a risk for children with SCD. Overall incidence, risk factors, and spectrum of pathogens are important considerations to guide prevention and empirical treatment of suspected infection in SCD.

Retrospective Analysis of Bacterial Isolates during Blood Stream Infections in Children with Chemotherapy-induced Febrile Neutropenia: A Single Centre Experience

Abstract Introduction The recent advances in cancer treatment have resulted in significant improvement in the outcome of pediatric cancers. However, febrile neutropenia (FN) is the most important cause of mortality and morbidity in pediatric cancer patients and is a crucial limiting factor for the outcome. The greatest threat that we are facing is the emergence of pan drug-resistant (PDR) organisms. Objectives To study bacterial organisms causing bloodstream infections (BSI) during febrile neutropenia episodes, their antibiotic sensitivity pattern, impact on treatment outcome during the intensive phase of chemotherapy, and the association between prior administration of antibiotics and emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDR). Materials and Methods This retrospective study was conducted in patients between the age group of 0 to 18 years who were treated for malignancies in the division of pediatric oncology at a tertiary center from August 2017 to December 2020. Blood cultures were collected under aseptic precautions, and they were processed as per the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute Guideline (CLSI) 2017. Results A total of 122/159 (76.7%) patients were diagnosed to have hematological malignancies, and 37/159 (23.3%) patients were found to be suffering from solid tumors. A total of 309 episodes of FN were documented and 386 cultures were sent, out of which 87/386 (22.53%) cultures were positive for bacteria and 2/386 (2.2%) for fungi. Gram-negative isolates were seen in 51/87 (58.62%) cultures and Gram-positive in 36/87 (41.37%) cultures. Burkholderia cepacia and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CONS) were the commonest found Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. MDR bacterial strains were seen in 44/87 (50.57%) cultures and PDR strains in 8/87 (9.2%) cultures. Resistance was higher with Klebsiella species and CONS. There were six mortalities during the induction phase of acute leukemia treatment, out of which 4/6 (66.66%) were due to MDR infections, 1/6 (16.6%) due to fungal infection and chemotherapy refractoriness each. Conclusion Proven bacterial infections were determined in 22.53% of febrile neutropenia episodes. Most BSI in patients with febrile neutropenia were caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Indiscriminate use of higher antibiotics before referral led to the emergence of MDR organisms, thus compromising the outcome. Our study emphasizes the fact that antibiotic stewardship is a crucial task to counter MDR bacteremia-related morbidity and mortality in neutropenic children.

Impact of Perioperative Absolute Neutrophil Count on Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic and Myeloid Leukemia.

BackgroundThere is lack of evidence concerning safety of placement of tunneled central venous catheters (TCVCs) in neutropenic children with acute leukemias. Here, we evaluate the impact of absolute neutrophil count (ANC) at the time of TCVC placement on development of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in children with lymphoblastic (ALL) or myeloid leukemia (AML).Materials and MethodsA retrospective observational study of children undergoing TCVC placement at a tertiary referral hospital between January 2000 and December 2019 was performed. Traditional and competing-risks regression models were used to estimate the effect of perioperative ANC on development of CLABSI.ResultsA total of 350 children (median age 6.4 [IQR: 3.1–10.9] years) underwent 498 consecutive TCVC implantations in neutropenic (n = 172, 34.5%) and non-neutropenic conditions (n = 326, 65.5%). The median length of observation per TCVC was 217.1 (IQR: 116.1–260.5) days with a total of 99,681 catheter days (CD). There were no differences in early (within first 30 days after TCVC placement) and overall CLABSI rates between neutropenic and non-neutropenic patients (HR 1.250, p = 0.502; HR 1.633, p = 0.143). We identified female sex (HR 2.640, p = 0.006) and the use of TCVC for treatment of relapsed leukemia (HR 4.347, p < 0.0001) as risk factors for early CLABSI and the use of double-lumen catheters (HR 2.607, p = 0.003) and use of TCVCs during leukemia relapse (HR 2.004, p = 0.005) for overall study period.ConclusionThe placement of TCVC in children with neutropenia undergoing anticancer therapy for acute leukemia is safe and not associated with an elevated rate of CLABSI.

Direct association between rainfall and non-typhoidal Salmonella bloodstream infections in hospital-admitted children in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) ranks first among causes of bloodstream infection in children under five years old in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has a case fatality rate of 15%. Main host-associated risk factors are Plasmodium falciparum malaria, anemia and malnutrition. NTS transmission in sub-Saharan Africa is poorly understood. NTS bloodstream infections mostly occur during the rainy season, which may reflect seasonal variation in either environmental transmission or host susceptibility. We hypothesized that environment- and host-associated factors contribute independently to the seasonal variation in NTS bloodstream infections in children under five years old admitted to Kisantu referral hospital in 2013–2019. We used remotely sensed rainfall and temperature data as proxies for environmental factors and hospital data for host-associated factors. We used principal component analysis to disentangle the interrelated environment- and host-associated factors. With timeseries regression, we demonstrated a direct association between rainfall and NTS variation, independent of host-associated factors. While the latter explained 17.5% of NTS variation, rainfall explained an additional 9%. The direct association with rainfall points to environmental NTS transmission, which should be explored by environmental sampling studies. Environmental and climate change may increase NTS transmission directly or via host susceptibility, which highlights the importance of preventive public health interventions.

Multi-drug resistance and high mortality associated with community-acquired bloodstream infections in children in conflict-affected northwest Nigeria

Pediatric community-acquired bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) in sub Saharan African humanitarian contexts are rarely documented. Effective treatment of these infections is additionally complicated by increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance. We describe the findings from epidemiological and microbiological surveillance implemented in pediatric patients with suspected CA-BSIs presenting for care at a secondary hospital in the conflict affected area of Zamfara state, Nigeria. Any child (> 2 months of age) presenting to Anka General Hospital from November 2018 to August 2020 with clinical severe sepsis at admission had clinical and epidemiological information and a blood culture collected at admission. Bacterial isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility. We calculated frequencies of epidemiological, microbiological and clinical parameters. We explored risk factors for death amongst severe sepsis cases using univariable and multivariable Poisson regression, adjusting for time between admission and hospital exit. We included 234 severe sepsis patients with 195 blood culture results. There were 39 positive blood cultures. Of the bacterial isolates, 14 were Gram positive and 18 were Gram negative; 5 were resistant to empiric antibiotics: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; n = 2) and Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase positive enterobacterales (n = 3). We identified no significant association between sex, age-group, ward, CA-BSI, appropriate intravenous antibiotic, malaria positivity at admission, suspected focus of sepsis, clinical severity and death in the multivariable regression. There is an urgent need for access to good clinical microbiological services, including point of care methods, and awareness and practice around rational antibiotic in healthcare staff in humanitarian settings to reduce morbidity and mortality from sepsis in children.

Risk factors for microbiologic failure in children with Enterobacter species bacteremia.

Enterobacter species are an important cause of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (BSI) in children. Up to 19% of adult patients with Enterobacter BSI have recurrence of infection resistant to third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) while on therapy with a 3GC. Data are lacking regarding the incidence of and risk factors for recurrence of infection in children with Enterobacter BSI. We conducted a retrospective case-control study of patients aged ≤21 years old admitted to Texas Children's Hospital from January 2012 through December 2018 with Enterobacter BSI. The primary outcome was microbiologic failure from 72 hours to 30 days after the initial BSI (cases). The secondary outcome was isolation of a 3GC non-susceptible Enterobacter sp. from a patient with an initial 3GC-susceptible isolate. Twelve patients (6.7%) had microbiologic failure compared to 167 controls without microbiologic failure. Of the 138 patients (77.1%) with an Enterobacter sp. isolate that was initially susceptible to 3GCs, 3 (2.2%) developed a subsequent infection with a non-susceptible isolate. Predictors of microbiologic failure were having an alternative primary site of infection besides bacteremia without a focus or an urinary tract infection (OR, 9.64; 95% CI, 1.77-52.31; P < 0.01) and inadequate source control (OR, 22.16; 95% CI, 5.26-93.36; P < 0.001). Source of infection and adequacy of source control are important considerations in preventing microbiologic failure. In-vitro susceptibilities can be used to select an antibiotic regimen for the treatment of Enterobacter BSI in children.

Factors Associated with High-Cost Hospitalizations for Hemodialysis Catheter-Associated Blood Stream Infections in Children

Factors Associated with High-Cost Hospitalizations for Hemodialysis Catheter-Associated Blood Stream Infections in Children

Peripheral Venous Catheter-related Bloodstream Infections in Hospitalized Children: The Role of Gram-negative Bacteria.

Peripheral venous catheter (PVC) is the most used vascular access device in medicine, allowing administration of intravenous fluids and medications. Known complications associated with PVC include extravasation, phlebitis and rarely bloodstream infection (BSI). Data regarding PVC-related BSI in children are lacking. Our aim was to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical and microbiologic characteristics of pediatric inpatients with PVC-related BSI. A retrospective study was conducted in a pediatric tertiary care center. Children with BSI, admitted to general pediatric departments during 2010-2019, were identified and their medical records examined. Patients with BSI and phlebitis were further characterized and included in the analysis. We excluded patients with central venous catheters, other identified source of infection and with BSI upon admission. Data collected included patients' demographics and clinical and microbiologic characteristics. Twenty-seven children with PVC-related BSI were identified and included in the study, consisting of 0.2% of the total BSI cases. Patient's median age was 24 (range, 1.5-213) months, 14/27 (52%) were female and 6 (22%) were previously healthy while 21 (78%) had prior medical conditions. Sixteen (59.3%) patients had Gram-negative BSI and 6 (22.2%) Gram-positive bacteria. Polymicrobial infection occurred in 4 (14.8%) patients and Candida albicans in 1 (3.7%) patient. The most common isolated bacteria were Klebsiella spp and Staphylococcus aureus. Longer dwell-time was a predictor of Gram-negative bacteria. PVC-related BSI due to Gram-negative bacteria was more common than to Gram-positive bacteria. Clinicians should consider an initial broad-spectrum antibiotic coverage for PVC-related BSI in hospitalized pediatric patients.

Evaluation of Some Biomarkers in Diagnosis of Bacterial Bloodstream Infection in Children

Background: Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a life-threatening condition caused by the presence of microorganisms, generally caused by a range of bacteria in the blood. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible role of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as biomarkers of pediatric BSI. Methodology: The study was conducted on 150 blood samples collected from the patient who admitted to Children Welfare Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad. During the period from November 2020 to March 2021, ninety blood samples from them were positive culture and 60 blood samples were negative culture (control group). The isolates were identified depending on the morphological, microscopic examination, and biochemical tests. Moreover, serum was obtained from all participants for the determination of the screening level of human PCT measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and CRP by slide agglutination test. Results: The results in this study revealed that the mean levels of serum PCT and CRP in Gram-negative group and Gram-positive group were significantly difference from the control group. Conclusions: The adoption of these biomarkers as routine diagnostic tests for sepsis may help in the early diagnosis of pediatric sepsis.

Current Approach for the Prevention of Central Venous Catheter-related Bloodstream Infections in Children

Current Approach for the Prevention of Central Venous Catheter-related Bloodstream Infections in Children

O-46: Cost-utility of Kitelock in Preventing Central Line-associated Blood Stream Infections in Children with Intestinal Failure: A Markov Model

O-46: Cost-utility of Kitelock in Preventing Central Line-associated Blood Stream Infections in Children with Intestinal Failure: A Markov Model

*O-34: Cost-effectiveness of Ethanol Lock Prophylaxis to Prevent Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections in Children with Intestinal Failure in the United States

*O-34: Cost-effectiveness of Ethanol Lock Prophylaxis to Prevent Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections in Children with Intestinal Failure in the United States

The burden of central line-associated bloodstream infections in children with medical complexity.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are significant cause of complications in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). An emerging challenge are CLABSIs in children with medical complexity (CMC) admitted to PICU. CMC are patients with chronic conditions with or without neurological impairment needing for tracheostomy and/or home mechanical or non-invasive ventilation and/or gastrostomy/jejunostomy. We evaluate CLABSI incidence in a PICU with high prevalence of CMC. This was a retrospective study in the PICU of the Bambino Gesù Children Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020. The medical records were reviewed and demographic, clinical and microbiological data were extracted. CLABSI were defined according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Networks (NHSN) surveillance. A total of 101 children with 125 central lines (CLs) were included; 79/101 (78%) patients were CMC and 50/101 (50%) had a thracheostomy. CLABSI incidence was 2.75/1000 CL-days (9 cases/3269 CL-days); incidence was 0 in patients without underling conditions and 3.14/1000 in CMC (p < 0.001). CLABSI were due to gram negative bacteria in five patients, Candida spp in three and Staphylococcus hominis in one. CLs were removed in eight cases while in the later one, with CLABSI due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a conservative strategy was adopted cause of unavailable alternative venous access and removed at discharge with negative culture. All patients recovered. A target 0% CLABSI was possible in critically ill children without underling condition while a high incidence was reported in CMC and sustained by a peculiar CLABSI ecology. This ecology should be considered when a CLABSI was suspected in CMC for prompt antibiotics stewardship.

Analysis of bloodstream infections in children with acute myeloid leukemia during induction chemotherapies

Objective: To explore the clinical features of bloodstream infections (BSI) in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the first induction chemotherapy. Methods: The clinical data, pathogen of BSI, antibiotic susceptibility in vitro, complications and prognosis of 204 newly diagnosed AML children admitted to Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from August 2009 to December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. χ2 test was used for the comparison between groups and Logistic regression was used for BSI risk factor analysis. Results: Among 204 patients, 116 were males and 88 were females. The age was 8 (ranged from 1 to 14) years. Among them, 170 patients received MAE chemotherapies (etoposide, mitoxantrone and cytarabine) and 25 received IAE chemotherapies (etoposide, idarubicin and cytarabine). The other 9 patients used granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)-priming regimen (aclacinomycin or homoharringtonine, cytarabine and G-CSF) for induction treatments. A total of 28 patients experienced BSI and the incidence rate was 13.7% (28/204), 26 of them developed BSI once and 2 patients developed twice. Gram-positive bacteria were predominant pathogens accounting for 53.3% (16/30) while gram-negative bacteria accounting for 40.0% (12/30) and fungal accounted for 6.7% (2/30). The most common detected pathogens were Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CoNS, 26.7% (8/30)), followed by Streptococcus spp. (13.3% (4/30)) and Escherichia coli (13.3% (4/30)). Among Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), 3 cases showed carbapenem resistance and 2 cases were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. BSI-related mortality was 28.6% (8/28). Infections caused by drug-resistant GNB or fungi resulted in 6 fatal cases. The incidence rate of BSI in group with severe neutropenia was higher than in group without it (16.6% (25/151) vs. 5.7% (3/53), χ²=3.933, P=0.047). Multivariable analysis showed severe neutropenia at the onset of fever was independent risk factor of BSI (OR=4.258,95%CI 1.097-16.524,P=0.036). Conclusions: During the first induction chemotherapy courses, Gram-positive bacteria cause most of the BSI. Drug-resistant bacteria related infection often result in fatal outcomes. Severe neutropenia is a significant risk factor.

Cost-effectiveness of ethanol lock prophylaxis to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections in children with intestinal failure in the United States.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) lead to significant morbidity and mortality in children with intestinal failure (IF). Ethanol lock prophylaxis (ELP) greatly reduces CLABSI frequency with minimal side effects. However, in the United States, a recently approved orphan drug designation for dehydrated alcohol has greatly increased 70% ethanol cost from about $10/day to $1000/day. We examined the cost-effectiveness of ELP in relation to these changes. We simulated a previously developed IF Markov model over 1 year. Costs were measured in 2020 US dollars and effectiveness in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). CLABSI rate with and without ELP was estimated from the largest available comparative observational study. The primary outcome was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between treatments. Secondary outcomes included CLABSI frequency. Sensitivity analyses on all model parameters were performed. In the base model, children with IF not using ELP accumulated $131,815 in costs and 0.32 QALYs per patient compared with $437,884 and 0.33 QALYs per patient in those using ELP. The ICER was nearly $17 million/QALY gained. ELP resulted in a 40% reduction in CLABSI frequency. ELP became cost-effective at $68/day and cost-saving at $63/day. Sensitivity analysis identified no other plausible parameter variation to reach the benchmark of $100,000/QALY gained. At the current price, ELP is not cost-effective for CLABSI prevention in children with IF in the United States. This study highlights the critical need for the approval of an affordable lock therapy option to prevent CLABSIs in these children.

Correlation between Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Colonization and Bloodstream Infections in Children with Hematolymphoid Malignancies at a Tertiary Cancer Center in India

Abstract Background Bloodstream infections with drug-resistant bacteria are associated with a higher morbidity and mortality. Based on previous studies in our institution demonstrating a rising incidence of multidrug resistant organism (MDR) bacteria in bloodstream infections (BSI) and high prevalence of enteric colonization with MDR, the “de-escalation” strategy for empirical antibiotics was adopted in the management of febrile neutropenia in children with hematolymphoid malignancies and MDR colonization. An audit was carried out to determine whether surveillance rectal swabs correlated with blood cultures in febrile neutropenia. Methods Patient data from January 2015 to July 2016 was examined. Rectal swabs of children with hematolymphoid malignancies were obtained at presentation. Blood cultures were taken during febrile neutropenia. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0. The significance level was set at p &lt; 0.05. Results Most patients (62.1%) with confirmed BSI were colonized with either extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing organisms (ESBLO) (31.9%) or MDR (30.2%). Majority 116 (62.7%) developed BSI caused by either MDR or ESBLO. In contrast, only 12 (10.6%) patients colonized by sensitive bacteria, developed BSI caused by either MDR or ESBLO. These differences were statistically significant (p &lt; 0.001). Thus, the baseline rectal swab had a sensitivity and a specificity of 90.6% and 59.4%, respectively, in predicting BSI with either MDR or ESBLO. Conclusions We conclude that high prevalence of MDR colonization at presentation significantly results in MDR BSI, which further results in a significant increase in intensive care unit admissions and mortality. This would justify the use of a “de-escalation” antibiotic policy. Whether such a strategy has been successful in impacting outcomes, would need further study.

Nosocomial Non-fermentative gram negative bacteria bloodstream infections in children; Risk factors and clinical outcomes of carbapenem resistance

IntroductionNon-fermentative Gram-negative bacterias (NFGNBs) are a major cause of life threatening infections in hospitalized children. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of NFGNBs infections and identify the risk factors and outcomes of bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by carbapenem-resistant (CR) NFGNBs infections. MethodsA retrospective cohort was designed to evaluate the patients with a BSI caused by NFGNBs between in January 2014 and December 2017. ResultsA total of 131 episodes from 115 patients were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 4.79±(4.74) year. The most commonly isolated NFGNBs species was Acinetobacter spp. (35.9%), Pseudomonas spp. (34.4%), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (13%). The rate of carbapenem-resistance was 38.2% in Acinetobacter spp. and 26.6% in Pseudomonas spp. The comparison of CR group with carbapenem-susceptible (CS) group showed statistical significance for the length of hospital stay prior to onset of infection and total hospital stay (P values were 0.001, 0.008). Based on the univariate analysis, requirement of mechanical ventilation, central venous catheter, nasogastric tube, Foley catheter, severe neutropenia (<100/mm3), prolonged neutropenia (≥14 days), prior intensive care unit admission and prior antimicrobial treatment (carbapenems, colistin, glycopeptide) were more common in carbapenem-resistant NFGNBs infections (P values are 0.001, 0.012, 0.000, 0.005, 0.042, 0.027, 0.007, 0.007). In patients with NFGNBs infections 14-day and 30-day mortality rates were %16.8 and 21.4%. ConclusionCR infections were more common in children with prolonged and severe neutropenia. Prior antimicrobial use and intensive care unit admission were more common in CR infections.

Asymptomatic central line-associated bloodstream infections in children leading to right-sided infective endocarditis

Background: Indwelling central venous catheters (CVC) are used to provide long term hemodialysis (LT-HD). The commonest and the severe complication of CVC is the central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). This study was done to assess the etiology and infectious complications of CVC in children on LT-HD. Methods and materials: Children newly undergoing hemodialysis and having indwelling CVC were included. They were followed up to a period of 2 y to assess infectious complications. Catheter bundle care approach was employed to prevent infections and other complications. Automated culture from the CVC and peripheral vein and 2D-echocardiography were done in each hemodialysis. Serial procalcitonin (PCT) was measured. Differential time of positivity (DTP) was used to detect CLABSI. Following discharge, weekly telephone conversations were done to assess features of infection, and whenever having, we have asked to admit to the tertiary care unit. Logistic regression was performed, and the significant outcome variable was considered as risk factors. Results: Blood cultures were positive in 1090 (74.5%) out of 1462 children. According to DTP, 410 (28%) were having CLABSI, while 520 (35.6%) were having bacteremia without CLABSI. Out of 410 CLABSI patients, 175 (42.7%) were asymptomatic. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus sp. (CoNS) bacteremia was significantly associated with asymptomatic CLABSI. Right-sided infective endocarditis (RS-IE) was significantly associated with asymptomatic CLABSI and asymptomatic bacteremia without CLABSI. CoNS was associated significantly in RS-IE following asymptomatic CLABSI and asymptomatic bacteremia. PCT was in asymptomatic CLABSI was 1.8 ± 0.9 ng/mL while in symptomatic CLABSI was 11.3 ± 2.5 ng/ml (p = 0.02). CoNS bloodstream infection, tunneled CVC, peripherally inserted central catheter, femoral site, the number of line days > 90, receipt of vancomycin, meropenem, or linezolid in the 5 d before CLABSI diagnosis and recurrent bacteremia were risk factors for asymptomatic CLABSI. Conclusion: Asymptomatic CLABSI could be a rare occurrence. CoNS was predominantly isolated in patients with asymptomatic CLABSI. RS- IE is a well-known complication in long term indwelling CVC. CoNS was significantly associated with RS-IE following asymptomatic CLABSI. Regular procalcitonin, microbiological, and imaging studies would be essential to detect infectious complications in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients implanted with long term indwelling CVCs.

Predictors of mortality and clinical characteristics among carbapenem-resistant or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae bloodstream infections in Spanish children.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are an emerging problem in the paediatric population worldwide with high mortality rates in bloodstream infection (BSI). To evaluate predictors of 30 day mortality in CRE BSI in a paediatric cohort. A retrospective observational single-centre study (December 2005-August 2018) was conducted. Cases of CRE BSI in children 0 to 16 years were included. Microbiological identification (MALDI Biotyper) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (Vitek2® and MicroScan panel NBC44) according to EUCAST breakpoints were performed. PCR OXVIKP® was used to confirm carbapenemase genes (OXA-48, VIM, KPC, NDM). Demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, source of bacteraemia, antimicrobial therapy and outcomes were collected from medical records. Survival analysis to establish predictors of 30 day mortality was performed. Thirty-eight cases were included; 76.3% were hospital-acquired infections and 23.7% related to healthcare. All patients had at least one underlying comorbidity and 52.6% were recipients of an organ transplant. VIM carbapenemase was the predominant mechanism (92.1%). Previous CRE colonization or infection rate was 52.6%. Intestinal tract (26.3%) and vascular catheter (21.1%) were the most common sources of infection. Crude mortality within 30 days was 18.4% (7/38); directly related 30 day mortality was 10.5%. Conditions associated with an increment in 30 day mortality were intensive care admission and inadequate empirical therapy (P < 0.05). Combination-antibiotic targeted treatment and a low meropenem MIC were not related to improved survival. CRE BSI mortality rate is high. The most important factor related to 30 day survival in our CRE BSI cohort in children was empirical treatment that included at least one active antibiotic.