Abstract:
Aim: To compare the microbial communities inside hemodialysis catheters from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to determine their differences.
Materials & methods: Catheters (n = 41) were removed from patients in the Saskatchewan Health Authority over an 18-month period. The catheter section inside the body was flushed and the contents were evaluated using culture-dependent and culture-independent analysis.
Results: All catheters were colonized by bacteria, with considerable overlap between groups based on microbial communities and the individual species detected. More Gram-negative species were detected by sequencing, whereas predominantly Gram-positive strains were cultured. Antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation was widespread and not correlated with either catheter group.
Conclusion: Common pathogens were detected in each set of catheters, therefore predicting infections based on the microbiology is difficult.
Reference:Sivaranjani M, Sanderson H, Nnajide CR, Martens-Koop A, Blondeau JM, Stryker R, White AP. Microbiological analysis of tunneled hemodialysis catheters isolated from patients receiving hemodialysis in Saskatchewan. Future Microbiol. 2024 Sep;19(13):1129-1144. doi: 10.1080/17460913.2024.2359879. Epub 2024 Aug 16. PMID: 39149853.