Intravascular Catheter Exchange and Duration of Candidemia

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 994 - 996
• Main Authors: Rex, John H., Bennett, John E., Sugar, Alan M., Pappas, Peter G., Serody, Jonathan, Edwards, John E., Washburn, Ronald G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-10-1995; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Candida; Candidemia; Catheters; Fungal infections; Fungemia; Human mycoses; Infections; Infectious diseases; Kaplan Meier estimator; Medical schools; Medical sciences; Medication administration; Mycoses; Mycotic sepsis; Human; Intravenous administration; Mycosis; Catheterization; Catheter; Duration; Fungi; Infection; Fungemia; Candida; Risk factor; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/clinids/21.4.994

During a comparative trial of amphotericin B vs. fluconazole for treatment of candidemia in nonneutropenic patients, data on the management of intravascular catheters were collected. Complete records were available for 91% of the 206 study patients. For the subset of patients with a catheter in place at the time of their first positive blood culture, removal and replacement of all intravascular catheters without exchange over a guidewire from a preexisting line on or before the first day the study drug was administered were associated with a reduction in the subsequent mean duration (±SE) of candidemia, from 5.6 ± 0.8 days to 2.6 ± 0.5 days (P < .001).