Central Line Sepsis

Mr. Johnson is a 59-year-old man with a diagnosis of M4 acute, nonlymphocytic leukemia in remission. His medical history is significant for noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), a supraventricular arrhythmia, and an allergy to penicillin. Fifteen days ago, he received a second cycle of consolidation chemotherapy that consisted of high-dose cytarabine given via IV on days one, three, and five. Today, Mr. Johnson’s wife contacted a nurse at the oncology clinic and reported that her husband had developed a fever with shaking chills. He also had complaints of a dry cough and discomfort with swallowing. The nurse asked Mrs. Johnson to bring her spouse into the office to be examined.