Table 2.

Definitions for catheter-related bacteremia

Definite catheter-related bacteremia:
• Confirmation of septic thrombophlebitis with a single positive blood culture, or
• Single positive blood culture and positive culture of catheter segment with identical organism, or
• 10-fold colony count difference in blood cultures drawn from catheter and peripheral blood, or
• Single positive blood culture and positive culture from discharge or aspirate from exit site, tunnel, or pocket, with identical organism
Probable catheter-related bacteremia:
• Two or more positive blood cultures with no evidence for source other than catheter, or
• Single positive blood culture for S. aureus or Candida with no evidence for source other than catheter, or
• Single positive blood culture for coagulase negative staphylococci, Bacillus, Corynebacterium jeikeium, Enterococcus, Trichophyton, or Malassezia in immunocompromised or neutropenic host or in patients receiving TPN with no evidence for source other than catheter