Bacteremia and fungemia in cancer patients with venous catheters.

In 116 cancer patients with bacteremia and fungemia and neutropenia (71%) analysis for the cause was made with regard to the presence of venous catheter, previous therapy or prophylaxis, underlying disease and immunosuppression and etiology. The incidence of bacteremia in patients with catheter was 12x higher (8.25% vs. 0.76%) in comparison to those without catheter and the mortality in respective groups was 26.3% and 15%. Among 206 isolates, 128 (63%) were grampositive aerobes, 58 (27.5%) gramnegative aerobes and 20 (9.5%) fungi. The mortality was the highest in patients with catheter and fungemia (66.6%) and relatively higher in patients with catheter and gramnegative bacteremia.