ISSN:
1460-9592
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
In a prospective randomized study the durability of tunnelled and non-tunnelled central venous catheters was investigated in children with malignant diseases. Twenty children were included in the study but four (two in each group) had to be excluded; three because the entry criteria turned out not to be fulfilled and one because of lack of data. The median duration of the tunnelled catheters was 224 days with a range of 25–846 days which was significantly longer than that of conventional catheters (39.5 days, range 9–228 days). In addition six of eight conventional catheters were accidentally removed whereas all catheters in the tunnelled group had to be removed via a small incision. Three cases of catheter related sepsis, two in the tunnelled group and one in the conventional group, were registered. The corresponding number of infections per catheter days were 1 in 1189 days and 1 in 522 days, respectively. In conclusion cuffed, tunnelled central venous catheters are less prone to displacement than traditional percutaneous central venous catheters when used in children with malignant diseases.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1460-9592.1996.d01-18.x
