Salvatore Giacomo Morano
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Lorenzo Coppola
Hematology “AOU” Sassari, Italy, Italy.
Roberto Latagliata
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Paola Berneschi
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Antonio Chistolini
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Alessandra Micozzi
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Corrado Girmenia
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Massimo Breccia
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Gregorio Brunetti
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Angela Matturro
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Giovanni Rosa
Dipartimento Anestesia e Rianimazione, Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Italy.
Pietro Guerrisi
Dipartimento Scienze Radiologiche, Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Italy.
Franco Mandelli
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Roberto Foà
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Giuliana Alimena
Department of Cellular Biotechnology and Hematology
‘La Sapienza’ University
Via Benevento 6, IT–00161 Rome (Italy), Italy.
Abstract
Several severe complications may be associated with the use of central venous catheters (CVC). We retrospectively evaluated on a large cohort of patients the incidence of CVC-related early and late complications. From 7/99 to 12/2005, 1102 CVC have been implanted at our Institution in 881 patients with haematological malignancies (142,202 total day number of implanted CVC). Early mechanic complications were 79 (7.2% - 0.55/1,000 days/CVC). Thirty-nine episodes of early infective complications (<1 week from CVC implant) occurred (3.5% - 0.3/1000 days/CVC): furthermore, 187 episodes of CVC-related sepsis (17% - 1.3/1000 days/CVC) were recorded. There were 29 episodes (2.6%) of symptomatic CVC-related thrombotic complications, with a median interval from CVC implant of 60 days (range 7 – 395). The rate of CVC withdrawal due to CVC-related complications was 26%. The incidence of CVC-related complications in our series is in the range reported in the literature, notwithstanding cytopenia often coexisting in haematological patients.