Diagnosis and treatment of bacteremia and intravascular catheter infections

The past decade has witnessed an explosive rise in the rate of bacteremia and intravascular catheter infection. Although gram-negative organisms continue to account for up to one third of these infections, gram-positive organisms have become increasingly prevalent pathogens. Virulent antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains have emerged and present a formidable treatment challenge. Simultaneously, management of catheter infection has evolved. Although patients who develop fungemia, gram-negative bacteremia, or sepsis syndrome are best treated by catheter removal in addition to antimicrobial therapy, an increasing body of evidence suggests that many gram-positive bacterial catheter infections can be treated by use of antimicrobial agents without catheter removal. Advances in catheter design and immunotherapy for sepsis syndrome also hold promise. Despite these innovations, determining the initial need for catheter placement, adherence to meticulous sterile surgical technique during insertion, and subsequent fastidious catheter maintenance remain the mainstays of preventing these potentially disastrous infections.