[Staphylococcus coagulase negative infection in neonates caused by intravascular catheters. Prospective study]

We present a prospective study about 100 intravascular catheters inserted into 88 newborns. 35 positive blood cultures were obtained; 19 with clinical signs of sepsis and 16 in asymptomatic newborns. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci were the most common isolated organisms -84.2% in the symptomatic cases, 100% in the asymptomatic ones. A comparative study was realized between cases of catheter-related sepsis with positive blood culture of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (n = 14) versus asymptomatic cases with positive blood culture (n = 16). Risk factors in the appearance of symptoms are: prematurity, newborns old age when catheters are inserted and days of catheter placement.