During a cumulated survey of 286 months, covering 11 gastroenterological patients under nocturnal-cyclic home parenteral nutrition, 24 cases of catheter-related sepsis were observed (one/11.9 months). None of these were associated with focus of infection at the cutaneous entry point or at the subcutaneous tunnel of the catheters. In this study attempt was made to control sepsis without removal of the surgically implanted siliconed lines (Vygon code 180-20 with an internal filling volume of 1 ml). The first two catheter-sepsis were conventionally treated with systemic antibiotics for 3 weeks which meant a 1-month hospital admission each time. Consequently, we used a new antibiotic therapy consisting of locking 12 hr/day 2 ml of highly concentrated antibiotic solution within the catheter. After identification of bacterial strains by blood cultures, the antibiotic lock-technique was daily applied either alone for 16 days (group I, n = 11) or for 12 days following a 3-day course of systemic antibiotics (group II, n = 11). After starting antibiotics via the infected line, the time taken for fever abatement and for obtaining negative in-line blood cultures were 2 and 4 days, respectively, and identical in group I and II. Failure of antibiotic treatment leading to catheter withdrawal was observed once in each group (9%) and was due to secondary candida catheter-sepsis. The time for hospital stay was shorter p less than 0.02 in group I (4 days) than in group II (7 days). Antibiotic-lock technique was then applied by trained patients at home.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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