Colonization and molecular epidemiology of coagulase-negative Staphylococcal bacteremia in cancer patients: a pilot study

Gastrointestinal barrier integrity and mucosal inflammation as risk factors of blood stream infections in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Chemotherapy-induced mucositis increases the risk of blood stream infections (BSI) due to translocation of bacteria across the intestinal epithelium. Our study investigated if quantitative measures of intestinal mucositis severity, including plasma citrulline (a marker of functional enterocytes) and CCL20 (an intestinal immune homeostatic chemokine), could identify patients at risk of BSI. A total of 106 children with ALL undergoing induction treatment (NOPHO ALL 2008) were included and information regarding BSI episodes was collected from the patients' medical records. Twenty-seven patients (25%) developed BSI during induction. Patients with BSI had a larger decrease in citrulline after chemotherapy than patients without BSI, and nearly all BSI episodes (25/27) occurred in the group of patients exhibiting a drop in citrulline (OR = 6.4 [95% CI: 1.4-29.3], P = .008). Patients who developed BSI had higher plasma CCL20 levels on days 8, 15 and 22 than patients without BSI (all P < .05), and elevated CCL20 levels on day 8 increased the risk of subsequent BSI (OR = 1.57 [1.11-2.22] per doubling of CCL20 level, P = .01) in a multivariable logistic regression analysis. These findings suggest that children with ALL who develop BSI during chemotherapy are characterised by more severe intestinal mucositis, as measured by plasma citrulline and CCL20. These markers may be useful in early risk stratification to guide treatment decisions.

Coagulase negative Staphylococcus bacteremia in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: Clinical features and molecular characterization

The purpose of our study was to investigate the epidemiology of coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) responsible for bacteremia in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients and to determine the prevalence and the genetic background of methicillin resistance. The prevalence of CoNS bacteremia was 7.4% (54/728), higher in allograft (10.7%) than in autograft (4.7%) recipients. A sepsis or a septic shock were observed in 9% of cases. No deaths were attributable to CoNS bacteremia. The methicillin resistance rate was 81%. All MR-CoNS, harbored mecA gene and 90% were typeable with SCCmec typing using PCR amplification. The SCCmec type IV was the most frequent (44%). Clonal dissemination of MR- Staphylococcus epidermidis strains was limited. Our study showed a low prevalence and favorable outcome of CoNS bacteremia in HSCT recipients with limited clonal diffusion. However, they were associated with a significant rate of severe infections and a high rate of methicillin resistance, mediated by SCCmec IV element in most cases.

Citrulline as a biomarker of bacteraemia during induction treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

BACKGROUND

Systemic infections are a major cause of morbidity in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). However, identification of patients at increased risk is still a challenge. Knowing that both neutropaenia and gastrointestinal toxicity are risk factors for bacteraemia, we aimed at comparing absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) and plasma citrulline levels (indicating enterocyte loss) in children with ALL with and without bacteraemia during induction treatment.

PROCEDURE

We prospectively included 61 children with ALL treated according to the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO) ALL-2008 protocol. ANC and plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured on treatment days 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Plasma citrulline was measured on days 1, 8, 15 and 29. Bacteraemia episodes during induction treatment were recorded retrospectively.

RESULTS

Nineteen of sixty-one (31%) patients experienced bacteraemia occurring on median day 13 (range 5-20). Patients with bacteraemia during induction treatment had lower citrulline level on day 15 (P < .01) compared to patients without bacteraemia, indicating more severe enterocyte loss. Nevertheless, ANC was similar in the two patient groups on days 8 and 15. CRP was negatively correlated with same-day citrulline (P < .03 for all) and ANC (P < .04 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

During chemotherapy-induced neutropaenia, plasma citrulline may help identify patients at increased risk of bacteraemia.

Precision identification of diverse bloodstream pathogens in the gut microbiome

A comprehensive evaluation of every patient with a bloodstream infection includes an attempt to identify the infectious source. Pathogens can originate from various places, such as the gut microbiota, skin and the external environment. Identifying the definitive origin of an infection would enable precise interventions focused on management of the source1,2. Unfortunately, hospital infection control practices are often informed by assumptions about the source of various specific pathogens; if these assumptions are incorrect, they lead to interventions that do not decrease pathogen exposure3. Here, we develop and apply a streamlined bioinformatic tool, named StrainSifter, to match bloodstream pathogens precisely to a candidate source. We then leverage this approach to interrogate the gut microbiota as a potential reservoir of bloodstream pathogens in a cohort of hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients. We find that patients with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections have concomitant gut colonization with these organisms, suggesting that the gut may be a source of these infections. We also find cases where typically nonenteric pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis, are found in the gut microbiota, thereby challenging the existing informal dogma of these infections originating from environmental or skin sources. Thus, we present an approach to distinguish the source of various bloodstream infections, which may facilitate more accurate tracking and prevention of hospital-acquired infections.

New Insight on Epidemiology and Management of Bacterial Bloodstream Infection in Patients with Hematological Malignancies

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in onco-hematologic patients. The Gram-negative bacteria were the main responsible for the febrile neutropenia in the sixties; their impact declined due to the use of fluoroquinolone prophylaxis. This situation was followed by the gradual emergence of Gram-positive bacteria also following the increased use of intravascular devices and the introduction of new chemotherapeutic strategies. In the last decade, the Gram-negative etiology is raising again because of the emergence of resistant strains that make questionable the usefulness of current strategies for prophylaxis and empirical treatment. Gram-negative BSI attributable mortality is relevant, and the appropriate empirical treatment significantly improves the prognosis; on the other hand the adequate delayed treatment of Gram-positive BSI does not seem to have a high impact on survival. The clinician has to be aware of the epidemiology of his institution and colonizations of his patients to choose the most appropriate empiric therapy. In a setting of high endemicity of multidrug-resistant infections also the choice of targeted therapy can be a challenge, often requiring strategies based on off-label prescriptions and low grade evidence.

In this review, we summarize the current evidence for the best targeted therapies for difficult to treat bacteria BSIs and future perspectives in this topic. We also provide a flow chart for a rational approach to the empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia in a multidrug resistant, high prevalence setting.

Cohort Study of the Pathogenesis and Molecular Epidemiology of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection in Neonates With Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheters

Objective.

To better define the pathogenesis of catheter-related bloodstream infection (BSI) in neonates with peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) to guide the development of more effective strategies for prevention.

Design.

Prospective nested cohort study.

Setting.

Level III neonatal intensive care unit in a community hospital.

Methods.

During a randomized trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a prophylactic vancomycin-heparin catheter-lock solution for the prevention of catheter-related BSI in neonates with PICCs, we performed cultures of peripheral and catheter-drawn blood samples, and quantitative cultures of catheter hub samples if BSI was suspected clinically. We performed semiquantitative cultures of the catheter tip and the catheter hub and the skin at the insertion site when the catheter was removed. Molecular subtyping by pulsed-field electrophoresis was used to determine the probable pathogenesis of all BSIs due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS); for BSIs caused by other microorganisms, epidemiologic concordance was based on speciation and antibiograms. Catheter-related BSI was considered extraluminally acquired if concordance was demonstrable solely between isolates recovered from the catheter tip and the blood, independent of concordance with isolates recovered from the insertion site. Catheter-related BSI was considered intraluminally acquired if concordance was demonstrated only between isolates recovered from the catheter hub and the blood. The source of the infection was considered indeterminate if both concordance patterns were present.

Results.

Nosocomial BSI was identified in 23 of the 82 neonates in the cohort. Fifteen of these infections, 14 of which were caused by CoNS, were considered definite or probable catheter-related BSIs. Catheter-related BSI was intraluminally acquired in 10 (67%) of 15 patients, extraluminally acquired in 3 (20%), and indeterminate in 2 (13%).

Conclusions.

Most catheter-related BSIs in neonates with PICCs are caused by CoNS and derive from intraluminal contamination. Strategies for prevention of catheter-related BSI directed at this predominant mechanism of infection are most likely to be effective.

Mucosal barrier injury, fever and infection in neutropenic patients with cancer: introducing the paradigm febrile mucositis

Infection remains one of the most prominent complications after cytotoxic treatment for cancer. The connection between neutropenia and both infections and fever has long been designated as 'febrile neutropenia', but treatment with antimicrobial agents and haematopoietic growth factors has failed to significantly reduce its incidence. Moreover, emerging antimicrobial resistance is becoming a concern that necessitates the judicious use of available antimicrobial agents. In addition to neutropenia, patients who receive cytotoxic therapy experience mucosal barrier injury (MBI) or 'mucositis'. MBI creates a port-de-entrée for resident micro-organisms to cause blood stream infections and contributes directly to the occurrence of fever by disrupting the highly regulated host-microbe interactions, which, even in the absence of an infection, can result in strong inflammatory reactions. Indeed, MBI has been shown to be a pivotal factor in the occurrence of inflammatory complications after cytotoxic therapy. Hence, the concept 'febrile neutropenia' alone may no longer suffice and a new concept 'febrile mucositis' should be recognized as the two are at least complementary. This review we summarizes the existing evidence for both paradigms and proposes new therapeutic approaches to tackle the perturbed host-microbe interactions arising from cytotoxic therapy-induced tissue damage in order to reduce fever in neutropenic patients with cancer.

Mucositis not neutropenia determines bacteremia among hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

BACKGROUND

In the 1960s, it was reported that infectious complications were the main cause of fever during neutropenia that followed hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). More recently, mucositis has become recognized as an important determinant of the inflammatory response and infectious complications.

METHODS

The objective of this prospective study was to determine the impact of intestinal mucositis, as measured by plasma citrulline, and neutropenia on the systemic inflammatory response (C-reactive protein) and the occurrence of bacteremia among 2 cohorts of HSCT recipients: 1 composed of 18 patients who had been treated with a myeloablative (MA) regimen (high-dose melphalan) and the other involving 19 patients who had received the non-myeloablative (NMA) regimen (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide). Blood cultures were obtained for surveillance from admission onwards as well as at the onset of fever.

RESULTS

The MA regimen induced severe intestinal mucositis manifest by citrullinemia <10 μmol/L, which was accompanied by an inflammatory response, and bacteremia affected 8 (44%) of 18 patients and coincided with the nadir of citrullinemia. By contrast, those who had been treated with the NMA regimen did not develop severe intestinal mucositis, had a moderate inflammatory response, and only 2 (11%) of the 19 patients developed bacteremia. However, both groups experienced profound neutropenia and its duration was significantly longer for those receiving the NMA regimen.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that severe intestinal mucositis, i.e., citrullinemia <10 μmol/L, defines the period of risk of bacteremia better than does neutropenia, and that measuring plasma citrulline may prove useful in deciding who needs empirical antimicrobial therapy and when.

Clinical characteristics of infections in humans due to Staphylococcus epidermidis

Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most common cause of primary bacteremia and infections of indwelling medical devices. The ability to cause disease is linked to its natural niche on human skin and ability to attach and form biofilm on foreign bodies. This review focuses on the S. epidermidis clinical syndromes most commonly encountered by clinicians and future potential treatment modalities.

[Daptomycin in Gram-positive bacterial infections in oncohematological patients and transplant recipients]

Gram-positive infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in oncohematological patients and transplant recipients. The most frequently isolated Gram-positive organisms are the coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp., and viridans group streptococci. Antibiotic resistance in these organisms is increasing and poses a challenge to clinicians. Daptomycin is rapidly bactericidal against a broad spectrum of gram-positive bacteria, including strains resistant to other drugs. The present article reviews some aspects of Gram-positive infections in these immunocompromised patients and provides a detailed analysis of experience with daptomycin in the treatment of these infections.

Alteration of the colonization pattern of coagulase-negative staphylococci in patients undergoing treatment for hematological malignancy

The aim was to prospectively describe the colonization pattern of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and the relationship between colonizing and invasive CoNS isolates among patients undergoing treatment for hematological malignancy. Fourteen newly diagnosed patients were included with either multiple myeloma or acute leukemia. Patients were repeatedly sampled from nares, throat, axillae, and perineum, and the CoNS isolates obtained were phenotypically characterized together with blood isolates of CoNS using the PhenePlate system (PhP). During the treatment a gradual reduction in the heterogeneity of colonizing CoNS was observed as well as an inter-patient accumulation of phenotypically related and multi-drug-resistant CoNS. These clusters of CoNS persisted for 2-3 months after the end of therapy. Ten positive blood cultures of CoNS were obtained and in the majority of these cases CoNS of the same PhP type were found in superficial cultures collected prior to the blood culture sampling. In conclusion, the study shows that therapy for hematological malignancy is associated with a homogenization of colonizing CoNS isolates and that this acquired flora of CoNS is persistent several months after the end of therapy. Furthermore, the results suggest that the source of bloodstream infections of CoNS in hematological patients is colonizing CoNS of the skin and mucosa.

Intestinal damage determines the inflammatory response and early complications in patients receiving conditioning for a stem cell transplantation

Background

Stem cell transplantation (SCT) is still complicated by the occurrence of fever and inflammatory complications attributed to neutropenia and subsequent infectious complications. The role of mucosal barrier injury (MBI) of the intestinal tract therein has received little attention.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis in 163 SCT recipients of which data had been collected prospectively on intestinal damage (citrulline), inflammation (C-reactive protein), and neutrophil count. Six different conditioning regimens were studied; 5 myeloablative (MA) and 1 non-myeloablative (NMA). Linear mixed model multivariate and AUC analyses were used to define the role of intestinal damage in post-SCT inflammation. We also studied the relationship between the degree of intestinal damage and the occurrence of early post-SCT complications.

Results

In the 5 MA regimen there was a striking pattern of inflammatory response that coincided with the occurrence of severe intestinal damage. This contrasted with a modest inflammatory response seen in the NMA regimen in which intestinal damage was limited. With linear mixed model analysis the degree of intestinal damage was shown the most important determinant of the inflammatory response, and both neutropenia and bacteremia had only a minor impact. AUC analysis revealed a strong correlation between citrulline and CRP (Pearson correlation r = 0.96). Intestinal damage was associated with the occurrence of bacteremia and acute lung injury, and influenced the kinetics of acute graft-versus-host disease.

Conclusion

The degree of intestinal damage after myeloablative conditioning appeared to be the most important determined the inflammatory response following SCT, and was associated with inflammatory complications. Studies should explore ways to ameliorate cytotoxic therapy-induced intestinal damage in order to reduce complications associated with myeloablative conditioning therapy.

Prevention of catheter-related bacteremia with a daily ethanol lock in patients with tunnelled catheters: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) results in significant attributable morbidity and mortality. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we studied the efficacy and safety of a daily ethanol lock for the prevention of CRBSI in patients with a tunnelled central venous catheter (CVC).

METHODOLOGY

From 2005 through 2008, each lumen of the CVC of adult hematology patients was locked for 15 minutes per day with either 70%-ethanol or placebo, where after the lock solution was flushed through. As a primary endpoint, the incidence rates of endoluminal CRBSI were compared.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The intent-to-treat analysis was based on 376 patients, accounting for 448 CVCs and 27,745 catheter days. For ethanol locks, the incidence of endoluminal CRBSI per 1000 CVC-days was 0.70 (95%-CI, 0.4-1.3), compared to 1.19 (95% confidence interval, 0.7-1.9) for placebo (incidence rate-ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-1.30; P = .19). For endoluminal CRBSI according to the strictest definition (positive hub culture and identical bacterial strain in blood), a 3.6-fold, non-significant, reduction was observed for patients receiving ethanol (2 of 226 versus 7 of 222; P = .103). No life-threatening adverse events were observed. More patients receiving ethanol discontinued lock-therapy (11 of 226 versus 1 of 222; P = .006) or continued with decreased lock-frequency (10 of 226 versus 0 of 222; P = .002), due to non-severe adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the reduction in the incidence of endoluminal CRBSI using preventive ethanol locks was non-significant, although the low incidence of endoluminal CRBSI precludes definite conclusions. Therefore, the lack of statistical significance may partially reflect a lack of power. Significantly more patients treated with ethanol locks discontinued their prophylactic treatment due to adverse effects, which were non-severe but reasonably ethanol related. Additional studies should be performed in populations with higher incidence of (endoluminal) CRBSI. Alternative sources of bacteremia, like exoluminal CRBSI or microbial translocation during chemotherapy-induced mucositis may have been more important in our patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00122642.

Clinical implications of icaA and icaD genes in coagulase negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in febrile neutropenic pediatric cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Staphylococci are the most frequently isolated organisms from blood cultures of febrile neutropenic (FN) cancer patients. We aimed to define the nature of these isolates by studying the prevalence of icaA and icaD genes in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and Staphylococcus aureus isolates in relation to clinical and microbiological features.

PROCEDURE

Fifty-five CoNS and S. aureus isolates from blood cultures of FN pediatric patients receiving chemotherapy were tested for slime production using Congo red agar plate test (CRA test), and for the presence of icaA and icaD genes by PCR.

RESULTS

Of the CoNS isolates, eight were positive for ica genes, and three were slime positive/ica negative. A total of 11 (24.4%) cases of CoNS bacteremia were either ica genes or CRA test positive. There was a concordance between ica genes and CRA test positivity (P < 0.001). S. aureus isolates exhibited icaA and icaD genes more than CoNS isolates (P = 0.03). Vancomycin was significantly more prescribed in episodes of ica-positive cases (P = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study support the hypothesis that the ica genes are important virulence markers for clinically significant CoNS isolates, indicating their ability to produce slime. This could be used to assign a group with higher risk FN. On the other hand, absence of these genes may permit, along with other clinical criteria, the consideration of a low-risk FN episode and allow for safe early discharge.

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and Febrile Neutropenia

Aggressive chemotherapy has a deleterious effect on all components of the defense system of the human body. The resulting neutropenia as well as injury to the pulmonary and gastrointestinal mucosa allow pathogenic micro-organisms easy access to the body. The symptoms of an incipient infection are usually subtle and limited to unexplained fever due to the absence of granulocytes. This is the reason why prompt administration of antimicrobial agents while waiting for the results of the blood cultures, the so-called empirical approach, became an undisputed standard of care. Gram-negative pathogens remain the principal concern because their virulence accounts for serious morbidity and a high early mortality rate. Three basic intravenous antibiotic regimens have evolved: initial therapy with a single antipseudomonal β-lactam, the so-called monotherapy; a combination of two drugs: a β-lactam with an aminoglycoside, a second β-lactam or a quinolone; and, thirdly, a glycopeptide in addition to β-lactam monotherapy or combination. As there is no single consistently superior empirical regimen, one should consider the local antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates in the selection of the initial antibiotic regimen. Not all febrile neutropenic patients carry the same risk as those with fever only generally respond rapidly, whereas those with a clinically or microbiologically documented infection show a much slower reaction and less favorable response rate.

Once an empirical antibiotic therapy has been started, the patient must be monitored continuously for nonresponse, emergence of secondary infections, adverse effects, and the development of drug-resistant organisms. The averageduration of fever in serious infections in eventually successfully treated neutropenic patients is 4–5 days. Adaptations of an antibiotic regimen in a patient who is clearly not responding is relatively straightforward when a micro-organism has been isolated; the results of the cultures, supplemented by susceptibility testing, will assist in selecting the proper antibiotics. The management of febrile patients with pulmonary infiltrates is complex. Bronchoscopy and a high resolution computer-assisted tomographic scan represent the cornerstones of all diagnostic procedures, supplemented by serological tests for relevant viral pathogens and for aspergillosis. Fungi have been found to be responsible for two thirds of all superinfections that may surface during broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment of neutropenic patients. Antibiotic treatment is usually continued for a minimum of 7 days or until culture results indicate that the causative organism has been eradicated and the patient is free of major signs and symptoms. If a persistently neutropenic patient has no complaints and displays no evidence of infection, early watchful cessation of antibiotic therapy or a change to the oral regimen should be considered.

Clonal dissemination of Staphylococcus epidermidis in an oncology ward

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the main cause of catheter-related infections, especially among immunosuppressed and neutropenic patients, as well as a source of bacterial contamination in blood cultures. Using biochemical identification and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), we sought to identify possible clonal isolates of bacteremia in patients with central lines in an oncology ward (OW), with comparison to isolates that were recovered by venipuncture from an adult emergency room (ER). A total of 243 CoNS isolates were identified to species level from the OW (126) and ER (117), with Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates being the most common (OW, 79.4%; ER, 45.3%). PFGE demonstrated a predominant clone of S. epidermidis (major subtype A) which was 35.5 times more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 35.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.7 to 267.0; P < 0.00001) to be present in the OW versus the ER. These (CoNS or major subtype A) isolates were more frequently resistant to gentamicin (OR = 2.83; 95% CI = 1.23 to 6.53; P = 0.016) and less frequently resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (OR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.18 to 0.80; P = 0.013). Subset analysis of S. epidermidis isolates 2 years after the study period showed the persistence of the clone of major subtype A within the OW. This study demonstrates the presence of a predominant clone among central line isolates from an OW that is not present in CoNS venipuncture isolates from an ER.

Bacteraemia coincides with low citrulline concentrations after high-dose melphalan in autologous HSCT recipients

Mucosal damage to the intestines induced by myeloablative conditioning for allogeneic PBSC transplant (PBSCT) can be determined by the concentration of citrulline, which is a functional marker of small intestinal enterocytes. Low citrulline concentrations in blood coincide with and are a response to severe mucosal barrier injury. We treated 29 patients with high-dose melphalan 200 mg/m(2) (Mel-200) to prepare for an autologous PBSCT and collected plasma samples from each patient starting before the myeloablative regimen and three times per week thereafter until discharge. The baseline citrulline concentration was 27.6 mM+/-4.0 (mean+/-95% confidence interval; CI), and citrulline concentrations declined rapidly thereafter reaching a nadir averaging 6.7 mM+/-2.7, 12 days after starting Mel-200. Citrulline concentrations, only increased gradually and were still low (12 mM+/-4) at discharge. A total of 20 patients developed fever, which was associated with bacteraemia in 10 cases. Their mean citrulline concentrations were lower at 5.5 mM+/-1.5 than were those of patients without bacteraemia (10.2 mM+/-3.9). Importantly, neither the number of preceding neutropenic days nor the mean C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration at the onset of fever was different between these two groups. In conclusion, citrulline concentrations rapidly decline after Mel-200 reflecting intestinal mucosal barrier injury. Low citrulline, rather than the duration of neutropenia, is associated with bacteraemia indicating the importance of an intact mucosal barrier in neutropenic patients.

Intravascular catheter-related infections: advances in diagnosis, prevention, and management

Indwelling vascular catheters are a leading source of bloodstream infections in critically ill patients and cancer patients. Because clinical diagnostic criteria are either insensitive or non-specific, such infections are often overdiagnosed, resulting in unnecessary and wasteful removal of the catheter. Catheter-sparing diagnostic methods, such as differential quantitative blood cultures and time to positivity have emerged as reliable diagnostic techniques. Novel preventive strategies include cutaneous antisepsis, maximum sterile barrier, use of antimicrobial catheters, and antimicrobial catheter lock solution. Management of catheter-related bloodstream infections involves deciding on catheter removal, antimicrobial catheter lock solution, and the type and duration of systemic antimicrobial therapy. Such decisions depend on the identity of the organism causing the bloodstream infection, the clinical and radiographical manifestations suggesting a complicated course, the underlying condition of the host (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia), and the availability of other vascular access sites.