A comparative study of blood culture sampling from umbilical catheter line versus peripheral site

Neonatal sepsis is an important cause of death and morbidity in newborns and is diagnosed by isolation of organism in blood culture. In several reports,reliability of blood cultures were done from umbilical catheters,have been demonstrated. The objective of the present study was to determine, wether an indewelling umbilical catheter, could be an alternative site for blood culture. In a prospective study over 6 months during 2006, 141 paired blood cultures from 134 infant,were done simultaneously from peripheral site and umbilical catheter (mostly U. V. C),during the first four days of life. Majority of these infants were preterm and admitted to NICU for special care. these infants had indwelling umbilical line and had indication of sepsis workup. A total of 141 pairs of blood cultures were obtained from 134 infants. In 16 infants blood culture pairs were positive for one organism in both peripheral vein and umbilical site. 71. 6% of total cultures (n=11) pairs were negative in both sites. A total of 22 pairs were positive in one site only,with 5 positive from peripheral vein only and the other 17 from umbilical site. Two pairs were positive in both sites with two different organism. In over all 16 infant (11%) of blood were considered to be contaminated. Contamination rate were 2. 4% and 9. 2% for peripheral and umbilical catheter site. Contamination rate increased after 48 hours of age in umbilical catheter. The result showed that after 2 days contamination rate for blood culture taken from catheter line increased and specificity decreased. We recommended that blood culture via umbilical catheter in first 2 days in sick neonates with indwelling catheter can be a alternate site of blood culture sampling.