Unexpected tunnelled central venous access demise: a single institutional study from the UK

Enhanced safety in central venous catheterization performed by Japanese board-certified pediatric surgeons: a retrospective single-center study

PURPOSE

Board certification by the Japanese Society of Pediatric Surgeons is awarded to pediatric surgeons with substantial surgical experience and academic achievement. However, to date, the surgical performance or outcomes of certified surgeons have not been reported. This study examined the relationship between board certification and surgical outcomes of central venous catheterization.

METHODS

This retrospective single-center study was conducted between April 2017 and May 2024. Patients were classified based on whether their procedures were performed by board-certified or non-certified surgeons, and their backgrounds and surgical outcomes were compared. In addition, multivariate analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with prolonged operative time.

RESULTS

This study included 112 procedures: 26 performed by board-certified surgeons and 86 performed by non-certified surgeons. There were no significant differences in the age, sex, weight, or primary diagnosis between the groups; however, surgery-associated complications were significantly more common in the non-certified surgeon group than in the board-certified surgeon group (15.1% vs. 0%, P = 0.036). In addition, factors independently associated with a prolonged operative time included weight < 10 kg, left-sided approach, implantable port device use, and < 7 years of postgraduate experience for the surgeon.

CONCLUSION

Board certification was associated with a significant reduction in surgery-associated complications during central venous catheterization.

Infection Associated With Invasive Devices in Pediatric Health Care: A Meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Indwelling invasive devices inserted into the body for extended are associated with infections.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to estimate infection proportion and rates associated with invasive devices in pediatric healthcare.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, clinical trial registries, and unpublished study databases were searched.

STUDY SELECTION

Cohort studies and trials published from January 2011 to June 2022, including (1) indwelling invasive devices, (2) pediatric participants admitted to a hospital, (3) postinsertion infection complications, and (4) published in English, were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology guidelines for abstracting and assessing data quality and validity were used.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Device local, organ, and bloodstream infection (BSIs) pooled proportion and incidence rate (IR) per-1000-device-days per device type were reported.

RESULTS

A total of 116 studies (61 554 devices and 3 632 364 device-days) were included. The highest number of studies were central venous access devices associated BSI (CVAD-BSI), which had a pooled proportion of 8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6-11; 50 studies) and IR of 0.96 per-1000-device-days (95% CI, 0.78-1.14). This was followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia in respiratory devices, which was 19% (95% CI, 14-24) and IR of 14.08 per-1000-device-days (95%CI, 10.57-17.58).

CONCLUSIONS

Although CVAD-BSI and ventilator associated pneumonia are well-documented, there is a scarcity of reporting on tissue and local organ infections. Standard guidelines and compliance initiatives similar to those dedicated to CVADs should be implemented in other devices in the future.

Tunnelled external versus implanted port central venous catheters in paediatric oncology: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and compare the complications associated with tunnelled external and implanted port (PORT) central venous catheters (CVCs) in children with cancer.

DESIGN

A systematic review in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) guidelines was performed (pre-registered on PROSPERO: CRD42022300869). MEDLINE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases were searched.

PATIENTS

Patients ≤18 years of age with haematological or solid malignancies.

INTERVENTIONS

Studies comparing tunnelled external and PORT CVCs.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Infection, mechanical failure, thrombosis, bleeding, acceptability, quality of life (QoL), cost, premature removal, and days from insertion to removal for any reason.

RESULTS

Twenty-three observational studies met the inclusion criteria, representing 6644 devices and 6032 patients. Tunnelled external CVCs were associated with an increased risk for systemic infection (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.59 to 2.77, p<0.001, 16 studies, 3425 devices). There was no significant difference in the risk of localised infection (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.66 to 2.01, p=0.62, 5 studies, 979 devices). Tunnelled external CVCs were also associated with a significantly increased risk of mechanical complications (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.21 to 5.05, p=0.01, 11 studies, 2187 devices) and premature device removal (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.28 to 8.22, p=0.01, 6 studies, 1514 devices).

CONCLUSION

This study shows that PORTs associate with a reduced risk of infectious and mechanical complications, and a lower overall risk of removal, compared with tunnelled external CVCs in children with cancer. Further work is required to confirm these findings in a prospective randomised trial and to compare cost implications and acceptability to patients and caregivers.

The experiences of adolescents living with a central venous access device: A qualitative analysis

Background

Central venous access devices are used in paediatric populations for specific chronic conditions requiring long-term treatment. Very little isknown about how young people experience living with such devices.

Aim

To gain a deep understanding of adolescents' (aged 12-17 years) experiences of living with a central venous access device from the perspective of the adolescents themselves, and of one of their parents.

Design

A descriptive phenomenological design was chosen.

Methods

The sample comprised 20 participants, 10 adolescents with a central venous access device who were purposefully selected from a paediatric unit in Ireland, along with one of each adolescent's parents. Five of the adolescents had a skin tunnelled catheter that partly sits outside the body; and five a totally implanted port contained within the body. Participants were interviewed in adolescent-parent dyads, and data were analysed using an established phenomenological method.

Results

Findings are presented around three themes: (i) The process of receiving treatment; (ii) managing skin tunnelled catheters and totally implanted ports day-to-day; and (iii) activities of daily living with a skin tunnelled catheter or a totally implanted port. Participants tended to compare their current device with previously negative experiences of multiple needle punctures associated with peripheral cannula insertions. Participants were largely positive about the type of device the adolescent currently had. However, in terms of daily management of the device itself and engaging in daily activities, totally implanted ports were more favourable than skin tunnelled catheters. Participants with a totally implanted port tended to minimise the needle-stick experience to access to the totally implanted port's reservoir.

Discussion

Findings from the present study on adolescents concur with those of previous studies on adults that found that individuals with a central venous access device were largely positively disposed to their device and tended to compare their experiences of it to previously negative experiences with peripheral cannula insertions. Findings also reflect existing research that has reported a favourable disposition to self-management of a central venous access device, and a greater freedom to engage in everyday activities for those with a totally implanted port compared to those with a skin tunnelled catheter.

Conclusion

We conclude that the type of central venous access device may have a pervasive and important impact on the everyday lives of adolescents and this needs to be given appropriate weight in formal guidelines for clinicians.

Efficacy of same venous route Hickman catheter replacement in patients with intestinal failure

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Periodical replacement of venous Hickman catheters is required for the nutritional care of patients with intestinal failure. The conventional de novo operation (DN-OP) involves inserting the catheter into a new venous tract in each replacement; however, this could result in fast consumption of functional central vessels in patients with intestinal failure. Recently, same-route operation (SR-OP) has been adopted as an alternative approach for retaining venous access.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study to compare the efficacy of Hickman catheters and the survival of venous vessels using two different operative strategies.

RESULTS

Overall, 181 catheters were inserted, 109 using DN-OP and 72 using SR-OP. The mean catheter duration was 11.9 ± 8.8 months in the DN-OP group and 10.5 ± 5.6 months in the SR-OP group; the infection rate was 0.74 in the DN-OP group and 0.44 in the SR-OP group. The vein accesses used in these insertions (n = 113) were classified: the DN-vein group for veins accessed only by DN-OP (n = 75) and the SR-vein group for veins accessed by an initial DN-OP and subsequent SR-OPs (n = 38). Mean working duration per vein access was 12.3 ± 10.1 months in the DN-vein group and 28.2 ± 14.8 months in the SR-vein group (p < 0.001); mean infection-free duration was 11.4 ± 10.1 months in the DN-vein group and 27.7 ± 15.3 months in the SR-vein group (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Application of SR-OP in Hickman catheter replacement significantly extended the working duration of venous access by re-using the same venous route without compromising catheter efficacy in patients with IF having poor venous access.

Factors affecting mechanical complications of central venous access devices in children

PURPOSE

Factors leading to mechanical complications following insertion of central venous access devices (CVADs) in children are poorly understood. We aimed to quantify the rates and elucidate the mechanisms of these complications.

METHODS

Retrospective (2016-2021) review of children (< 18 years old) receiving a CVAD. Data, reported as number of cases (%) and median (IQR), were analysed by Fisher's exact test, chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 317 CVADs (245 children) were inserted. Median age was 5.0 (8.9) years, with 116 (47%) females. There were 226 (71%) implantable port devices and 91 (29%) Hickman lines. Overall, 54 (17%) lines had a mechanical complication after 0.4 (0.83) years from insertion: fracture 19 (6%), CVAD migration 14 (4.4%), occlusion 14 (4.4%), port displacement 6 (1.9%), and skin tethering to port device 1 (0.3%). Younger age and lower weight were associated with higher risk of complications (p < 0.0001). Hickman lines had a higher incidence of complications compared to implantable port devices [24/91 (26.3%) vs 30/226 (13.3%); p = 0.008].

CONCLUSION

Mechanical complications occur in 17% of CVADs at a median of < 6 months after insertion. Risk factors include younger age and lower weight. Implantable port devices have a lower complications rate.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 4: case-series with no comparison group.