Catheter associated infections in hemodialysis patients.

Hemodialysis catheter related infections (HCRI) are one of the major causes of increasing mortality, morbidity and cost of therapy in hemodialysis patients. Prevention of HCRI requires the identification of predisposing risk factors. To determine the frequency of HCRI risk factors, we studied 116 patients (54% male, mean age of 49.5+/-16 years) patients with HCRI between 2003-2004. Forty one percent of the patients were diabetic. There was a history of previous catheter placement and infection in 41% and 32% of patients, respectively. Pathogenic organisms isolated from blood cultures included Staphylococcus-aureus 42%, Coagulase-negative Staphylococci 20%, E. Coli 19%, Enterococci 7%, Streptococcus D 7%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 4%, and Klebsiella 1%. Bacterial resistance to vancomycin and amikacin was present in 7% and 4% of the cases, respectively. Hemodialysis catheter related blood borne infections comprised 67% of the total blood-borne infections in our hospital. No significant statistical association was found between HCRI and age, gender, diabetes mellitus, serum albumin level <30 g/L, leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anatomical location of catheter, mean duration of antibiotic therapy, mean catheter duration, frequency of hemodialysis sessions, pathogenic organisms, and history of previous catheter infection. We conclude that the prevalence of pathogenic organisms of HCRI were similar to previous studies. However, bacterial resistance to antibiotics was low. The mean duration of catheter usage was longer than previously reported.