Malassezia furfur-related colonization and infection of central venous catheters. A prospective study in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Objective: To determine the incidence of Malassezia furfur-related colonization and infection of central venous catheters.

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: A paediatric intensive care unit at a University Hospital.

[Variations of the skin permeability in premature newborn infants. Value of the skin vasoconstriction test with neosynephrine].

Background: The skin of preterm infants is defective as a barrier and does not function like that of mature until about 2 weeks of age.

Methods: Percutaneous drug absorption was studied by observing the blanching response to aqueous solutions of 10% Neosynephrin applied to a small area of skin on the internal surface of the thigh. The subjects, 10 preterm infants born at gestational ages 29 to 32 weeks (mean: 31 weeks 2 days), were tested when they were aged from day 0 to 7.