Utility of Differential Time to Positivity in Diagnosing Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Differential time to positivity (DTP), defined as pathogen growth at least 2 hours earlier from catheter versus paired peripheral blood cultures, is sometimes used to diagnose central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Previous studies assessing DTP, however, have been small, provided conflicting results, and did not assess heterogeneity across important subgroups. Methods We systematically reviewed the diagnostic characteristics of DTP for CLABSI using MEDLINE, Embase, WoS, CINAHL, LILACS, AMED, and the Cochrane database. Studies were included if they reported sensitivities, specificities, predictive values, likelihood ratios, or 2 × 2 tables of DTP for diagnosing CLABSI. Extracted data were analyzed by using forest plots, bivariate model meta-analysis, and QUADAS-2 quality assessment. Results We identified 274 records, of which 23 met the criteria for meta-analysis. Among 2526 suspected CLABSIs, DTP demonstrated a summary sensitivity of 81.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 72.8%–87.7%), specificity of 91.8% (95% CI: 84.5%–95.8%), positive likelihood ratio of 9.89 (95% CI: 5.14–19.00), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.20 (95% CI: .14–.30). Covariate analysis based on catheter duration, study design, and patient immune status demonstrated no significant differences. However, DTP performed worse for Staphylococcus aureus (low sensitivity but high specificity) and Candida (high sensitivity but low specificity) compared to other organisms. Conclusions DTP performs well in ruling CLABSIs in or out. Obtaining paired catheter and peripheral blood cultures for DTP when the infectious source is unclear may prevent unnecessary line removal and diagnostic tests. However, this must be balanced against higher contamination rates from catheter cultures.