Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia associated with a Tesio hemodialysis catheter.

Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia associated with a Tesio hemodialysis catheter To the Editor: Catheter-associated bacteremia is a serious complication of temporary hemodialysis vascular access. Bacteremia is the second leading cause of death in hemodialysis patients. Infectious episodes are also the leading cause for untimely catheter removal and for morbidity in dialysis patients. In a study of 988 dialysis patients, the relative risk for bacteremia was increased more than 7-fold in patients with catheters than in those with arteriovenous fistulas. Gram-positive cocci cause most hemodialysis catheter-related bacteremias. Klebsiella pneumoniae associated with a Tesio hemodialysis catheter is a rare cause of hemodialysisassociated bacteremia.