Laboratory diagnosis and molecular characterization of bacterial bloodstream infections

ABSTRACT

Bloodstream infections [BSI] represent an important complication in patients receiving chemotherapy for neoplastic diseases. To identify and characterize the isolated bacteria from blood of pediatric cancer patients with fever, blood cultures were done and identification was carried out by conventional methods and API [for Gram negative bacteria], then molecular characterization by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis [PFGE] was done. This study was conducted on fifty pediatric cancer patients with fever. We found that only 22% of patients were positive for BSI, Gram positive bacteria were more commonly isolated than Gram negative bacteria and Coagulase negative Staphylococci [CONS] were the most commonly isolated species. There was a significant association between the presence of neutropenia with the increased incidence of BSI. The analysis of PFGE patterns produced showed identical profiles for most of the isolated bacterial strains. This means that those isolates have a common source of infection and strict infection control measures are needed inside our institude for prevention of HAI especially with those immunocompromised risky patients