Abstract: Objective  To study the diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) by retaining intravascular catheter methods, and to provide a method to decrease the unnecessary removing of the intravascular catheter for clinician.  Methods  According to the patient′s clinical symptoms, the clinician in the Central Intensive Care Unit of Huashan Hospital classified the patients into retaining and removeing the catheter for diagnosing the CRBSI from November in 2009. In the case of retaining the catheter, a set of blood (a bottle of aerobic blood culture and a bottle of anaerobic blood culture) was taken from peripheral vein and central venous catheter to perform blood culture. In the case of removing the catheter, the another 3 mL blood sample was collected and performed quantitative blood culture, and 2 sets of blood were send to determination. Results  The 27 of 50 episodes of retaining catheter specimens were detected the growth of bacteria. The 10 of them were CRBSI by laboratory evidence plus clinical diagnosis. The 8 episodes were CRBSI, and 2 episodes were determined as bacterial colonization by retaining catheter methods. The 7 episodes were determined as bacterial colonization by overall estimation method, 6 episodes were correctly diagnosed, 1 episode was negative by retaining catheter methods, and 1 episode was determined as contamination. Quantitative blood culture had growth of bacteria only in chocolate medium. Conclusions  The methods retaining the venous catheter can accurately detect the CRBSI.

Key words: Bloodstream Infection, Blood cuture, Catheter-related Bloodstream Infection