Dynamics of central venous catheter-related sepsis in rats.

To determine when catheter-related sepsis clears after removal of an infected central venous catheter (CVC) and when a new sterile CVC can be inserted without risk of recolonization, a catheter infected with 10(5) CFU of Staphylococcus epidermidis per ml was inserted into 40 Fischer 344 rats. Five control rats had sterile catheters. Insertion of an infected CVC was followed by a significant rise in leukocytes after 4 days and the presence of S. epidermidis in lungs, livers, spleens, kidneys, and the catheter tip, as examined by bacteriological assay. After the infected catheter was removed, the rat recovered from the induced catheter-related sepsis within 12 h. When a new sterile CVC was inserted into the femoral vein, the leukocyte count remained normal, and all catheter tips and tissue cultures were sterile 4 days later.