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Microbial diversity on intravascular catheters from paediatric patients

L Zhang1,2,3, N Marsh4,5, D Long4,6

  • 1AVATAR Group, Research Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. li.zhang@griffith.edu.au.

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases : Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
|October 31, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Understanding intravascular catheter (IVC) biofilms is crucial for managing infections in children. This study reveals IVC microbiota composition is primarily linked to catheter dwell time, not patient factors or catheter type.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Intravascular catheter (IVC)-related infections are serious complications in pediatric patients, leading to increased morbidity and mortality.
  • Effective management of these infections requires a deeper understanding of the microbial communities colonizing IVCs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the bacteriology of IVC biofilms using culture-independent methods.
  • To characterize the microbial composition within various types of pediatric IVCs.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 24 pediatric IVC samples (peripherally inserted central catheters, central venous catheters, arterial catheters) from patients aged 0-14 years.
  • Utilized barcoded amplicon libraries targeting 16S rRNA genes and roll-plate culture for microbial identification.
  • High-throughput sequencing generated over 1 million high-quality reads, identifying 8 phyla and 136 genera across 12,224 operational taxonomic units (OTUs).

Main Results:

  • Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla, with Firmicutes constituting nearly half of all detected OTUs.
  • Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus were the most common genera within the Firmicutes phylum.
  • Microbial community composition was not significantly influenced by patient age, gender, antibiotic use, or catheter type.

Conclusions:

  • Catheter dwell time, rather than IVC type or patient characteristics, appears to be the primary driver of differences in IVC microbiota.
  • These findings highlight the importance of dwell time in the development of IVC-related infections and inform strategies for infection prevention and management.

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