Surveillance for catheter-associated bloodstream infection in hematology units: quantifying the characteristics of a practical case definition.

We evaluated 66 patients in a hematology unit, who used a total of 106 central venous catheters (CVCs), to identify CVC-associated bloodstream infections using standard and modified surveillance case definitions. Compared with the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance system criteria, a modified case definition used by treating physicians demonstrated 100.0% sensitivity and 94.3% specificity. This case definition provides a practical method for effectively excluding CVC-associated bloodstream infection.