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We describe nine patients with underlying hematologic cancer in whom primary cutaneous aspergillosis developed at the sites of Hickman intravenous catheters. Our patients, 17 to 74 years of age, were all immunocompromised either from their primary disease or from chemotherapy, and the Hickman catheters had been placed to provide venous access for chemotherapy or hyperalimentation or both. Clinical signs of infection included erythema, induration, and cutaneous or subcutaneous necrosis at the point of entry into the subclavian vein, in the subcutaneous tunnel, or at the exit site from the skin. Diagnosis was confirmed by positive wound culture for Aspergillus flavus in all but one patient. Treatment consisted of intravenous amphotericin B, oral flucytosine, and local wound care. Three patients recovered completely without operative débridement; three others recovered after operative débridement and delayed grafting. Two patients died of disseminated aspergillosis, and one died of unrelated causes while recovering from primary cutaneous aspergillosis. Successful treatment required resolution of aplasia or leukopenia, catheter removal, systemic treatment with amphotericin B, and local wound care. We conclude that primary cutaneous aspergillosis, a rare infection, may occur at the sites of Hickman catheters in immunocompromised patients, and that it is a serious complication requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment.

The World Wide Web-based antimicrobial approval program led to improved communication, more-efficient antimicrobial administration, increased user satisfaction, and significant cost savings. Integrated tools, such as this World Wide Web-based antimicrobial approval program, will effectively enhance antimicrobial stewardship programs.

The results of central venous catheterization for total parenteral nutrition were prospectively evaluated in 200 consecutive patients. All catheters were fabricated of polyurethane tubing inserted by the Seldinger technique. Two hundred sixty-three lines were inserted in 200 patients for a total of 4103 days. Major complications occurred in 2.3% patients. Twenty-four per cent of catheters were associated with suspected sepsis; of these, 52% were removed directly and 48% were changed over a guidewire. The total catheter sepsis rate was 5.7%. The incidence of sepsis correlated with the number of attempts to insert the line and with positive skin cultures. These data indicate that: use of the Seldinger technique to insert nonthrombogenic flexible catheters results in lower technical morbidity; the incidence of established infection is much lower than the incidence of suspected sepsis; guidewire change may be performed without risk to the patient or interruption of therapy; sepsis rates can be decreased by reducing the number of attempts to catheterize the subclavian vein; and sepsis rates correlate with positive skin cultures at the insertion site.

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No significant differences in hematologic profiles between linezolid and vancomycin occurred in this pediatric population.

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