Central line associated bacteremia in the pediatric patient.

PURPOSE: To define the per-day risk of central line associated bacteremia in an infant-toddler population and to describe risk factors associated with the development of central line bacteremia. METHOD: The Central Line Data Tool collected information on 102 central venous catheters from 73 patients ranging in age from 1 day to 29 months. Each line was in place for 3 days or longer. FINDINGS: There were 17 documented catheter-related infections during the 1-year study period (7.7 infections per 1,000 catheter days). Factors significantly associated with central line bactermia included: PAS infusion, catheter type and site, medication administration, blood withdrawal, and accidental line disruption. CONCLUSIONS: Use of central lines for multiple purposes should be minimized.