Microbiological diagnosis of catheter-related infections / Diagnóstico microbiológico de las infecciones asociadas a catéteres intravasculares

ABSTRACT

This revision describes in detail the different diagnostic techniques of catheter-related infection, both in terms of catheter removal and preservation. Culture techniques based on catheter withdrawal are classified depending on the detection of extraluminal and/or intraluminal colonization, and new methodologies are described. In general, the most important recommendations are (a) do not send for culture catheter tips without suspicion of infection, (b) Maki's technique is the standard for detecting extraluminal colonization, (c) take 2 pairs of peripheral blood cultures before starting antibiotic treatment, (d) use skin and connections/connectors cultures for the conservative diagnosis due to their high negative predictive value (Gram and culture), and (e) take differential quantitative blood cultures though all catheter lumens and through a peripheral vein