ABSTRACT
When a bacteremia secondary to catheter-related infection is suspected, paired blood cultures are drawn through the catheter and a peripheral vein. The diagnosis of catheter-related infection is highly suspected when:
■ blood culture from the catheter is positive while the peripheral blood culture is negative
■ quantitative difference between the catheter and peripheral blood culture (5-to 10-fold higher colonization of the culture from catheter, or >100 CFU/ml in the culture of blood from catheter)
■ there is a differential time of positivity for catheter versus peripheral blood culture (>2 hours).
