Important: Therapy
- Take peripheral and central line cultures before starting empirical antibiotics.
- If line is removed, send tip for culture.
- If Staph. aureus is isolated in the blood, the line should be removed and a minimum of 14 days of appropriate antibiotics given – refer to Staph.aureus (SAB) algorithm.
- [Locking lines with antibiotics is not generally recommended – contact microbiology for advice]