Non-culture based diagnostics for intravascular catheter related bloodstream infections

ABSTRACT

Introduction: intravascular catheter related bloodstream infection (IVC-BSI) is a leading cause of nosocomial infections and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early detection and adequate treatment of causative pathogens is critical for a favourable outcome. However, it takes significant time to receive microbiological results due to the current reference diagnostic method’s reliance on microbial growth.

Areas covered: This review discusses culture and non-culture based techniques for the diagnosis of non IVC-BSI and IVC-BSI, including molecular methods and biomarkers. Different diagnostic strategies are evaluated and the potential of new generation of diagnostic assays highlighted.

Expert commentary: The development of additional diagnostic methods has potential to beneficially supplement conventional culture diagnosis, and molecular techniques have particular potential to fulfil this need. They would also contribute significant new knowledge on the bacterial species present on catheters that are generally missed by diagnosis using traditionally culture-dependent methods. Advances in molecular strategies, together with new biomarkers, might lead to the development of faster, more sensitive and cheaper technologies and instruments. This review aims to provide a platform for the further development of IVCBSI diagnostic techniques.

KEYWORDS:

• Intravascular catheter
• catheter related bloodstream infection
• blood culture
• molecular methods
• diagnosis

Declaration of interest

C.M. Rickard’s employer has received on her behalf unrestricted research and educational grants from BD/Carefusion, speaker fees from BBraun and BD/Carefusion, and consultancy payments from BD. C.M. Rickard’s employer has received on her behalf unrestricted research and educational grants and speaker fees from 3M. They took no part in preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.