BACKGROUND: Nosocomial bacteremia caused by the contamination of intravenous (IV) infusates is considered rare. Unfortunately, this problem has been underestimated because its identification requires culturing infusates, a procedure not performed routinely. METHODS: This study was conducted in a referral hospital where IV infusates are admixed in nursing areas. The aim was to determine the prevalence of infusate contamination in adult patients with gram-negative rod (GNR) bacteremia. Over a period of 32 months, a specimen of infusate was drawn for culture from each patient recruited after the laboratory reported a GNR in the blood. RESULTS: A total of 384 infusates were cultured from 384 patients who had been diagnosed with GNR bacteremia. Seven infusates grew a GNR in culture, for a contamination rate of 2% (7/384; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1% to 3%). In all cases, the infectious organism was the same as the organism isolated from the blood. Infusate contamination was responsible for 7% (7/108; 95% CI = 2% to 11%) of all primary bloodstream infections and 11% (7/62; 95% CI = 2% to 22%) of all primary bloodstream infections not associated with central venous catheter infection. CONCLUSIONS: For patients in hospitals where IV drugs are admixed in nursing units, we recommend instituting infusate culture as routine practice following the diagnosis of a GNR in the blood. 2010 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
BACKGROUND:Nosocomial bacteremia caused by the contamination of intravenous (IV) infusates is considered rare. Unfortunately, this problem has been underestimated because its identification requires culturing infusates, a procedure not performed routinely. METHODS: This study was conducted in a referral hospital where IV infusates are admixed in nursing areas. The aim was to determine the prevalence of infusate contamination in adult patients with gram-negative rod (GNR) bacteremia. Over a period of 32 months, a specimen of infusate was drawn for culture from each patient recruited after the laboratory reported a GNR in the blood. RESULTS: A total of 384 infusates were cultured from 384 patients who had been diagnosed with GNR bacteremia. Seven infusates grew a GNR in culture, for a contamination rate of 2% (7/384; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1% to 3%). In all cases, the infectious organism was the same as the organism isolated from the blood. Infusate contamination was responsible for 7% (7/108; 95% CI = 2% to 11%) of all primary bloodstream infections and 11% (7/62; 95% CI = 2% to 22%) of all primary bloodstream infections not associated with central venous catheter infection. CONCLUSIONS: For patients in hospitals where IV drugs are admixed in nursing units, we recommend instituting infusate culture as routine practice following the diagnosis of a GNR in the blood. 2010 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Authors: Dora E Corzo-Leon; Tito Alvarado-Matute; Arnaldo L Colombo; Patricia Cornejo-Juarez; Jorge Cortes; Juan I Echevarria; Manuel Guzman-Blanco; Alejandro E Macias; Marcio Nucci; Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner; Alfredo Ponce-de-Leon; Flavio Queiroz-Telles; Maria E Santolaya; Luis Thompson-Moya; Iris N Tiraboschi; Jeannete Zurita; Jose Sifuentes-Osornio Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-05-15 Impact factor: 3.240