Definitions

Culture drawn from the catheter is positive (or >15CFU from 5cm catheter tip) but peripheral blood culture negative

Catheter Related Blood Stream Infection
(clinical purposes)

Generally requires positive culture from both line and peripheral site; the line culture often becomes positive 2hr sooner than the peripheral one

Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection
(surveillance purposes, may overestimate rates)

A patient who had a central line within 48hrs of a blood stream infection that is not considered to be from another source