Abstract: A method and an apparatus is disclosed for detecting whether a catheter is the cause of an infection in a patient without removing the catheter from the patient. The method for detecting an infection in a catheter including the steps of inserting a wire having a brush on the end, removing the brush and culturing fibrin which may have accumulated on the inside of the catheter and outside the end of the catheter to determine if any infectious microorganisms are captured in the fibrin. The brush has bristles of a longer length to extend through the end of the catheter, and shorter bristles to sample the inside of the catheter.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus is disclosed for detecting whether a catheter is the cause of an infection in a patient without removing the catheter from the patient. The apparatus includes a wire handle, brush and a protective, microbially impervious bag disposed over the handle and brush. In use, the apparatus is connected to a catheter, the brush is advanced through the catheter, and simultaneously removed from the protective bag. The apparatus is then withdrawn from the catheter, and simultaneously back into the bag, and the bag is capped to maintain the proper humidification of an fibrin sample obtained so that the microbes thus obtained remain viable.