Taurolidine-citrate Lock Solution (TauroLock) Significantly Reduces CVAD-associated Grampositive Infections in Pediatric Cancer Patients

Overview

Journal BMC Infect Dis

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2008 Jul 31

PMID 18664278

Citations 28

Authors

Arne Simon

Roland A Ammann

Gertrud Wiszniewsky

Udo Bode

Gudrun Fleischhack

Mette M Besuden

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Taurolidin/Citrate (TauroLock), a lock solution with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, may prevent bloodstream infection (BSI) due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS or 'MRSE' in case of methicillin-resistant isolates) in pediatric cancer patients with a long term central venous access device (CVAD, Port- or/Broviac-/Hickman-catheter type).

Methods: In a single center prospective 48-months cohort study we compared all patients receiving anticancer chemotherapy from April 2003 to March 2005 (group 1, heparin lock with 200 IU/ml sterile normal saline 0.9%; Canusal Wockhardt UK Ltd, Wrexham, Wales) and all patients from April 2005 to March 2007 (group 2; taurolidine 1.35%/Sodium Citrate 4%; TauroLock, Tauropharm, Waldbüttelbrunn, Germany).

Results: In group 1 (heparin), 90 patients had 98 CVAD in use during the surveillance period. 14 of 30 (47%) BSI were 'primary Gram positive BSI due to CoNS (n = 4) or MRSE (n = 10)' [incidence density (ID); 2.30 per 1000 inpatient CVAD-utilization days].In group 2 (TauroLock), 89 patients had 95 CVAD in use during the surveillance period. 3 of 25 (12%) BSI were caused by CoNS. (ID, 0.45). The difference in the ID between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.004).

Conclusion: The use of Taurolidin/Citrate (TauroLock) significantly reduced the number and incidence density of primary catheter-associated BSI due to CoNS and MRSE in pediatric cancer patients.

Citing Articles

Antimicrobial Lock Therapy in Clinical Practice: A Scoping Review.

Alfieri A, Di Franco S, Passavanti M, Pace M, Simeon V, Chiodini P Microorganisms. 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 40005772 PMC: 11857916. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms13020406.

Drug Clues for the Treatment of Fungal Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection With Antifungal Lock Therapy.

Li X, Yu B, Li H, Liu Z, Fu X, Jiao P Drug Des Devel Ther. 2025; 19:683-701.

PMID: 39906698 PMC: 11792632. DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S501664.

The Effectiveness of Taurolidine Antimicrobial Locks in Preventing Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections (CRBSIs) in Children Receiving Parenteral Nutrition: A Case Series.

Ling G, Ben-Shimol S, Elamour S, Nassar R, Kristal E, Shalev R Antibiotics (Basel). 2024; 13(9).

PMID: 39335019 PMC: 11429427. DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13090847.

Locking solutions for prevention of central venous access device complications in the adult critical care population: A systematic review.

Ornowska M, Smithman J, Reynolds S PLoS One. 2023; 18(10):e0289938.

PMID: 37824460 PMC: 10569507. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289938.

CATERPILLAR-study protocol: an assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial comparing taurolidine-citrate-heparin to heparin-only lock solutions for the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections in paediatric oncology patients.

van den Bosch C, Loeffen Y, van der Steeg A, van der Bruggen J, Frakking F, Fiocco M BMJ Open. 2023; 13(3):e069760.

PMID: 36944461 PMC: 10032404. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069760.

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