Use of semi-quantitative and quantitative culture methods and typing for studying the epidemiology of central venous catheter-related infections in neonates on parenteral nutrition.

To study the epidemiology - especially the impact of contaminated stopcocks - on central venous catheter (CVC) infection and catheter-related sepsis (CRS), semi-quantitative (SQ) and quantitative (Q) culture methods and typing of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were employed in 49 neonates with clinical signs of sepsis while receiving parenteral nutrition in the paediatric intensive care unit. The patients were divided into two groups according to stopcock contamination: group A consisted of 18 patients (36%) with contaminated stopcocks and group B consisted of 31 patients (64%) with sterile stopcocks. Five specimens were obtained from each patient, in addition to that from the stopcock: a swab taken from the skin surrounding the catheter puncture site; the CVC tip; the intradermal segment (IDC); and samples of parenteral fluid and blood.