Table 1

Basic patient characteristics and blood stream infections (BSI).

Item
Group 1
(heparin)
Group 2
(TauroLock™)
P value

No. of patients
90
89
-
Male (proportion in %)
51 (57)
60 (67)
0.16
Female (proportion in %)
39 (43)
29 (33)

Age (years): median
10.4
7.2
0.52
     IQRΔ
5.2 to 14.7
3.7 to 16.1

     Range
0.2 to 35.2
0.0 to 35.4

CVAD utilization days



     Cumulative No.
6,086
6,705
#
     Port
3,672
3,989

     Broviac
2,414
2,716

Malignancy No. (%)


0.09
     ALL
21 (23)
26 (29)

     AML
3 (3)
6 (7)

     NHL and HD
15 (17)
7 (8)

     Solid tumor
30 (33)
22 (25)

     ZNS
18 (20)
27 (30)

     MAS
2 (2)
0 (0)

     MDS
0 (0)
1 (1)

     LCH
1 (1)
0 (0)

Malignancy in relapse No. (%)
16 (18)
13 (15)
0.69
No of patients with


0.41
Port (proportion in %)
68 (76)
62 (70)

Broviac (proportion in %)
22 (24)
27 (30)

CVAD removal due to infection: No. (%)
4 (4.4)
3 (3.4)Ω
1.00

Group 1 = heparin (2003–2005) vs. group 2 = TauroLock™ (2005–2007)

MAS Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, MDS myelodysplastic syndrome,

LCH Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.

* CoNS = Coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Δ IQR = Interquartile range, 25–75. Percentile

# Utilization days per individual patient were not available; thus, P-values could not be calculated.

Ω None of these due to Gram positive infections caused by CoNS or MRSE

Simon et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2008 8:102   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-8-102