Nosocomial fungemia in neonates associated with intravascular pressure-monitoring devices.

Abstract

In the period from January, 1982, to March, 1983, eight infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at one hospital had blood cultures positive for Candida parapsilosis; six cases had occurred after December, 1982. Epidemiologic investigation included a case-control study comparing the 8 cases with 29 birth weight-matched controls. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the model that best fit the observed data included the following risk factors for fungemia: duration of umbilical artery catheterization; duration of receipt of parenteral nutrition; and estimated gestational age. Parenteral nutrition therapy was often administered through the umbilical artery catheters, which were also used for monitoring arterial pressure; transducer domes thus contained parenteral nutrition fluid. Transducers were usually disinfected with alcohol. Laboratory investigation showed that the heads of 6 of 11 in-use blood pressure transducers and 1 of 4 transducers in storage after cleaning were culture-positive for C. parapsilosis. After control measures were instituted no further cases occurred.

• Authors: S L Solomon, H Alexander, J W Eley, R L Anderson, H C Goodpasture, S Smart, R M Furman, W J Martone
• Journal: Pediatric infectious disease (Pediatr Infect Dis) 1986 Nov-Dec Vol. 5 Issue 6 Pg. 680-5 ISSN: 0277-9730 [Print] United States
• PMID: 3797298 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Blood (microbiology)
• Blood Pressure Determination (instrumentation)
• Candida (isolation & purification)
• Candidiasis (etiology, microbiology)
• Cross Infection (etiology)
• Equipment Contamination
• Female
• Humans
• Infant, Newborn
• Male
• Transducers, Pressure