Clinical usefulness of catheter-drawn blood samples and catheter-tip cultures for the diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infections in neonates.

Catheter-drawn blood sampling is an efficient method of diagnosing catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) in neonates; it has greater sensitivity and accuracy than methods using catheter-tip cultures. No association was detected between catheter-drawn blood sampling and the occurrence of adverse events with central venous catheters.