Taurolidine Lock Solution in the Prevention of Catheter Related Bacteremia

A Randomised Study of Taurolock for the Locking of Tunneled Central Venous Catheters in Children With Malignant Diseases.

Children with cancer need a long term tunnelled central venous catheter (TCVC) for the entire duration of their treatment. TCVCs are locked with heparin when not in use. The most frequent complications of long term TCVC are catheter related blood steam infections. Taurolock is a new lock that is claimed to prevent the formation of luminal biofilm in TCVCs and has been demonstrated to eradicate infected CVCs. In this study the investigators will compare TCVCs locked with heparin with TCVCs locked with Taurolock. Hypothesis: Taurolock will diminish the number of CRBSI in children with cancer compared with children with heparin lock of their CVC.

The most frequent complications of long term TCVC are catheter related blood steam infections(CRBSI)often caused by microorganisms located in the biofilm formed on the inner surface of the TCVC after a short time. CRBSI may be lifethreatening, will need long term intravenous broad spectrum antibiotic therapy possibly combined with intraluminal antibiotic lock therapy. In spite of this CRBSI may often lead to the premature removal of the TCVC.

Several methods to prevent the occurrence of intraluminal microbial colonization have been investigated with no single method standing out as the optimal one.

There is a need for a simple and safe method of reducing the occurrence of CRBSI in immunocompromised children receiving chemotherapy for malignant diseases. Various catheter lock solutions in stead of using heparin have been investigated in experimental models. Taurolidine is a chemically modified amino acid with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity in vitro. It is claimed to prevent the formation of luminal biofilm in TCVCs in a CVC model and it has been demonstrated to eradicate infected CVC in a three reports with a total of 18 patients.

In a 24 months study of routine use of Taurolidine 1,25%/Sodium-Citrate 4% (TaurolockTM) a reduction of gram-positive CVC associated infections was demonstrated. The findings were not statistically significant due to relatively few patients.

There is a need of a larger study with more patients receiving Taurolock for locking the TCVC between use in order to test for a significant reduction of the occurrence of CRBSI. Furthermore there is a need for an in vivo demonstration of the reduction of biofilm formation in TCVCs locked with taurolock compared with TCVCs locked with heparin.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children aged 0-17 years with malignant disease requiring a tunneled central venous catheter.

Exclusion Criteria:

• No written consent from child or parents