Division CVS-VASC: Arterial or venous infection

Arterial or venous infection must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Patient has organisms cultured from arteries or veins removed during a surgical operation

• AND blood culture not done or no organisms cultured from blood

• Patient has evidence of arterial or venous infection seen during a surgical operation or histopathologic examination

• Patient has at least one of the following signs or symptoms with no other recognised cause: fever (> 38 °C), pain, erythema, or heat at involved vascular site

• AND more than 15 colonies cultured from intravascular cannula tip using semiquantitative culture method

• AND blood culture not done or no organisms cultured from blood

• Patient has purulent drainage at involved vascular site

• AND blood culture not done or no organisms cultured from blood