Criteria for Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection (IDSA)

Criteria – all of the following are present in simultaneously collected catheter and peripheral vein blood cultures:

(1) same species isolated in both

(2) same biochemical and antibiotic susceptibility pattern

(3) one or both of the following:

(3a) > 15 colony forming units (CFU) from culture of the catheter tip

(3b) number of CFU in blood cultures drawn through the catheter tip >= 5 times greater than those drawn from the peripheral vein

Limitations:

• This requires quantitative cultures, which can be time consuming to perform properly.