Retrospective study of microorganisms associated with vascular access infections in hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess microorganisms associated with vascular access-associated infections (VAIs) in hemodialysis patients, with respect to possible origin from the mouth. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective and comparative analysis of the microbes associated with VAI in hemodialysis patients treated during a 10-year period was performed with the Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD). RESULTS Of 218 patient records identified, 65 patients collectively experienced 115 VAI episodes. The most common microorganisms involved were Staphylococcus aureus (49.6% of infections), Staphylococcus epidermidis (10.4%), Serratia marcescens (10.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.6%), and Enterococcus faecalis/fecum (8.7%). None of these was found in ≥1% of HOMD clone libraries, indicating that they very rarely colonize the teeth or plaque. CONCLUSIONS Most VAIs were associated with microorganisms more likely to originate from other body sites than from the oral cavity. The risk of a VAI being caused by microorganisms originating from the oral cavity is very small.