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Contamination of umbilical catheters
May, 1971 The Journal of P E D I A T R I C S
909
Letters to the Editor
Contamination of umbilical catheters To the Editor: In their article describing "Contamination of umbilical catheters in the newborn infant" (J. PEDIAT. 77: 965, 1970), Krauss and associates mention the occurrence of one positive (E. coti) blood culture out of 11 cultures taken in neonates with an umbilical catheter. It is interesting to note that the only positive blood culture occurred in association with catheterization for exchange transfusion. Lipsitz and Cornet 1 demonstrated the occurrence of positive blood cultures in 9 of 13 (69 per cent) newborn infants when blood was drawn from an umbilical vein catheter in neonates undergoing exchange transfusion. Organisms cultured from the blood were the same as those present in cultures of the umbilical stump. Blood cultures from peripheral sites were negative. The conclusion was that the "phenomenon of a positive blood culture obtained from umbilical vein blood is only transient and may not indicate bacteremia or septicemia." In the present article, there is no mention of the site from which blood cultures were taken. This re-emphasizes the necessity of obtaining blood cultures from peripheral sites and also decreases the validity of blood cultures taken "incidentally" from the umbilical catheter during exchange transfusions.
Sherwood B. Lee, M.D. Children's Hospital Buffalo, N. Y. 14222 REFERENCE
1. Lipsitz, P., and Cornet, J.: Blood cultures from the umbilical vein in the newborn infant, Pediatrics 26: 657, 1960.
Reply To the Editor: In answer to Dr. Lee's question, the positive blood culture obtained from the infant who underwent exchange transfusion was, in fact,
drawn from the umbilical catheter post exchange. All other blood cultures were taken from the femoral vein.
Alfred N. Krauss, M.D. Mickael M. Kannan, M.D. Department o[ the Navy Naval Hospital Portsmouth, Va. 23708
Cord I g M leveh in Latin American neonates
To the Editor: Serum levels of G, A, and M immunoglobulins in cord blood of Peruvian and Guatemalan infants from different social classes were determined. Such data are useful because there is no information on cord immunoglobulins of infants from technically underdeveloped countries. The main characteristics of 5 groups studied are summarized in Table I. Blood was collected from the umbilical cord immediately after birth. Specimens suspected of having admixture with maternal blood were discarded. Venous blood from mothers was also collected. IgG, IgA, and IgM were determined by radial immunodiffusion utilizing agar antibody plates (Hyland Labs., Los Angeles, Calif.).1 Serum specimens were fresh or had been stored at -60 ~ C. prior to testing. Average levels of IgM in cord and mothers' sera are also shown in Table I. IgM concentration was significantly higher in infants from Groups 2 to 5 than in Group 1 (t test: P 0.05). Furthermore, 6 per cent of Group 1 and 40 to 60 per cent of Groups 2 to 5 had "high" cord IgM levels ( ~ 0.20 rag. per milliliter), thus suggesting an association of high IgM levels and low socioeconomic class. Infection could be responsible for the antigenic stimulation resulting in the high levels of IgM observed. 2, a
Aaron Lechtig, M.D. Division of Human Development Leonardo ]. Mata, D.Sc. Division of Microbiology INCAP, Guatemala Vol. 78, No. 5, pp. 909-912
909
Letters to the Editor
Contamination of umbilical catheters To the Editor: In their article describing "Contamination of umbilical catheters in the newborn infant" (J. PEDIAT. 77: 965, 1970), Krauss and associates mention the occurrence of one positive (E. coti) blood culture out of 11 cultures taken in neonates with an umbilical catheter. It is interesting to note that the only positive blood culture occurred in association with catheterization for exchange transfusion. Lipsitz and Cornet 1 demonstrated the occurrence of positive blood cultures in 9 of 13 (69 per cent) newborn infants when blood was drawn from an umbilical vein catheter in neonates undergoing exchange transfusion. Organisms cultured from the blood were the same as those present in cultures of the umbilical stump. Blood cultures from peripheral sites were negative. The conclusion was that the "phenomenon of a positive blood culture obtained from umbilical vein blood is only transient and may not indicate bacteremia or septicemia." In the present article, there is no mention of the site from which blood cultures were taken. This re-emphasizes the necessity of obtaining blood cultures from peripheral sites and also decreases the validity of blood cultures taken "incidentally" from the umbilical catheter during exchange transfusions.
Sherwood B. Lee, M.D. Children's Hospital Buffalo, N. Y. 14222 REFERENCE
1. Lipsitz, P., and Cornet, J.: Blood cultures from the umbilical vein in the newborn infant, Pediatrics 26: 657, 1960.
Reply To the Editor: In answer to Dr. Lee's question, the positive blood culture obtained from the infant who underwent exchange transfusion was, in fact,
drawn from the umbilical catheter post exchange. All other blood cultures were taken from the femoral vein.
Alfred N. Krauss, M.D. Mickael M. Kannan, M.D. Department o[ the Navy Naval Hospital Portsmouth, Va. 23708
Cord I g M leveh in Latin American neonates
To the Editor: Serum levels of G, A, and M immunoglobulins in cord blood of Peruvian and Guatemalan infants from different social classes were determined. Such data are useful because there is no information on cord immunoglobulins of infants from technically underdeveloped countries. The main characteristics of 5 groups studied are summarized in Table I. Blood was collected from the umbilical cord immediately after birth. Specimens suspected of having admixture with maternal blood were discarded. Venous blood from mothers was also collected. IgG, IgA, and IgM were determined by radial immunodiffusion utilizing agar antibody plates (Hyland Labs., Los Angeles, Calif.).1 Serum specimens were fresh or had been stored at -60 ~ C. prior to testing. Average levels of IgM in cord and mothers' sera are also shown in Table I. IgM concentration was significantly higher in infants from Groups 2 to 5 than in Group 1 (t test: P 0.05). Furthermore, 6 per cent of Group 1 and 40 to 60 per cent of Groups 2 to 5 had "high" cord IgM levels ( ~ 0.20 rag. per milliliter), thus suggesting an association of high IgM levels and low socioeconomic class. Infection could be responsible for the antigenic stimulation resulting in the high levels of IgM observed. 2, a
Aaron Lechtig, M.D. Division of Human Development Leonardo ]. Mata, D.Sc. Division of Microbiology INCAP, Guatemala Vol. 78, No. 5, pp. 909-912