Increased risk of bacteremia in patients hemodialyzed through central catheters

As part of an ongoing prospective survey of nosocomial bacteremias, patients developing bacteremia while undergoing in-centre hemodialysis were observed over a 23 month period. Thirty-six episodes of bacteremia occurred in 30 patients: every episode was directly attributable to hemodialysis. In 28 of the 36 episodes (78%), there was evidence of inflammation with or without drainage of pus at the hemodialysis access site. Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 76% of the bacteremic isolates. Patients hemodialyzing through central venous catheters had a far higher incidence of bacteremia (0.01 per dialysis run) than patients hemodialyzing through vascular grafts (0.0005 per dialysis run).