The incidence and outcome of totally implantable venous access devices (ports)-associated bloodstream infections (PABSI) in childhood is not well defined. We designed a retrospective study to review the 5-year incidence and outcome parameters of PABSI in pediatric patients at a tertiary care Children’s Hospital in Türkiye. The overall PABSI incidence was 14.8 infections per 10,000 catheter days. The younger age and underlying hematologic malignancies were risk factors for having port infection. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus spp. and the port removal rates were 53% and 6.2 % (n=7) because of bloodstream infection (BSI) and of port pocket infection, respectively. The clinical and microbiological response rates at the end of therapy in patients with PABSI were lower (p=0.01 and p=0.002, respectively) and infection-related mortality was relatively higher (12.4% vs 4.1%) than in patients with BSI. PABSI as well as hematologic malignancies were shown as significant risk factors for the clinical and microbiological responses of the cases. Determination of the risk factors as well as local needs seem to be the most important step to prevent PABSI and port loss of patients with BSI and to improve patient outcome.

Keywords: Bloodstream infection (BSI), port-associated BSI (PABSI), pediatrics