Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 58, 171-173, 2005
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Short Communication
Value of Surveillance Blood Cultures in Neutropenic Patients - A Pilot Study
Olaf Penack*, Ullrich Keilholz, Eckhard Thiel and Igor Wolfgang Blau
Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Transfusion Medicine, Charite-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
(Received November 29, 2004. Accepted February 10, 2005)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Transfusion Medicine, Charite-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49-3084452361, Fax: +49-3084453395, E-mail: olaf.penack@charite.de
SUMMARY: In this prospective pilot study we evaluated the efficacy of blood cultures (BC) in detecting bacteremia and fungemia prior to the occurrence of infectious signs. Between February 2003 and July 2003, BC were performed twice weekly in neutropenic hematological patients using blood drawn from central venous catheters. Microbial growth prior to the onset of infectious symptoms was detected in 3 of 45 neutropenic episodes in 39 patients and led to modifications in patient management. These results suggest that further prospective studies are warranted to determine the clinical usefulness of surveillance with BC in neutropenic patients.