Bacteremia detected by lysis direct plating in a neonatal intensive care unit.

The density of bacteremia was determined in 787 neonatal blood specimens by using the 1.5-ml Isolator microbial tube. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the organisms isolated most frequently from both true-positive cultures (25 of 50) and contaminated cultures (57 of 131). Based on the first positive culture in an episode of sepsis, there were no cases of coagulase-negative staphylococcal sepsis associated with counts of less than or equal to 5 CFU/ml. Indwelling intravascular lines were associated with the majority of the episodes of sepsis. The distribution of pathogens causing sepsis in this neonatal population was similar to the distribution of microorganisms associated with cannula-related sepsis in other hospitalized patients.