Outcome of landmark‐guided percutaneously inserted tunneled central venous catheters in infants and children under 3 years with cancer

• Published in: Pediatric blood & cancer Vol. 65; no. 10; pp. e27295 - n/a
• Main Authors: Martynov, Illya, Raedecke, Jochen, Klima‐Frysch, Jessica, Kluwe, Wolfram, Schoenberger, Joachim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2018
• Subjects: Cancer; Catheters; Children; Complications; Data processing; Dislocation; Dislocations; Hematology; Implantation; Infants; Insertion; Medical instruments; Neonates; Oncology; Pediatrics; tunneled central venous catheters; cancer; complications; children; tunneled central venous catheters
• ISSN: 1545-5009; 1545-5017
• DOI: 10.1002/pbc.27295

Background There is a paucity of information on procedural and long‐term outcomes of tunneled central venous catheters (TCVC) in infants and children younger than 3 years undergoing anticancer therapy. This study aims to evaluate the success, safety, and complications leading to surgical revision or premature removal of TCVC in this particular patient group. Methods The clinical course of pediatric patients with percutaneous inserted TCVC, including Groshong (GC) and Hickman/Broviac (HB) catheters, has been analyzed retrospectively. The data analysis includes patient and device characteristics, adverse events during insertion, and dwell period complications. Results A consecutive series of 238 children undergoing implantation of 273 TCVC, including 148 (54.2%) GC and 125 (45.8%) HB catheters, with a total of 38,209 catheter days at risk (cdr) were reviewed. The patient cohort consisted of 65 (23.8%) infants, 77 (28.2%) children aged 1–2 years, and 131 (48.0%) aged 2–3 years. The overall rate of adverse events during catheter insertion was 12.8% (n = 35) with no differences between age groups or devices. The overall rate of long‐term complication was 28.2% (n = 77, catheter risk [CR] per 1,000 cdr = 1.75), with the highest prevalence in infants (P = 0.01). The most common complication was late dislocation (n = 24, 8.8%, CR = 0.47), followed by early dislocation (n = 20, 7.3%) and infection (n = 18, 7.4%, CR = 0.42). Conclusion Percutaneous landmark‐guided insertion of TCVC in neonates and small children with cancer is safe. Patterns of long‐term complications are different from those for older children and should be prevented through appropriate management.