Peripherally inserted central catheter cushioning: a pilot study comparing gauze with silicone foam

A pilot study was conducted to compare gauze with silicone foam that may be left in place for as long as seven days. Adult patients who were receiving treatment via peripherally inserted central catheters were recruited and alternately assigned to either the gauze or silicone foam group. Patient-reported itch and discomfort, nurse-reported ease of removal, and skin status were recorded for four weeks at each weekly dressing change.

Measurement of vein diameter for peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion: an observational study

Choosing an appropriately sized vein reduces the risk of venous thromboembolism associated with peripherally inserted central catheters. This observational study described the diameters of the brachial, basilic, and cephalic veins and determined the effect of patient factors on vein size. Ultrasound was used to measure the veins of 176 participants. Vein diameter was similar in both arms regardless of hand dominance and side. Patient factors-including greater age, height, and weight, as well as male gender-were associated with increased vein diameter. The basilic vein tended to have the largest diameter statistically. However, this was the case in only 55% of patients.

The catheter to vein ratio and rates of symptomatic venous thromboembolism in patients with a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC): a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are a common vascular access device used in clinical practice. Their use may be complicated by adverse events such as venous thromboembolism (VTE). The size of the vein used for PICC insertion and thus the catheter to vein ratio is thought to be a controllable factor in the reduction of VTE rates in patients who have a PICC. However, an optimal catheter to vein ratio for PICC insertion has not previously been investigated to inform clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of the catheter to vein ratio (proportion of the vein measured at the insertion point taken up by the catheter) on rates of symptomatic VTE in patients with a PICC and identify the optimal ratio cut-off point to reduce rates of this adverse event. METHOD: Adult patients waiting for PICC insertion at a large metropolitan teaching hospital were recruited between May and December 2013. Vein diameter at the PICC insertion site was measured using ultrasound with in-built callipers. Participants were followed up at eight weeks to determine if they developed symptomatic VTE. RESULTS: Data were available for 136 patients (50% cancer; 44% infection; 6% other indication for PICC). Mean age was 57 years with 54% males. There were four cases of confirmed symptomatic VTE (two involving the deep veins, one peripheral vein and one pulmonary embolism). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis determined that a 45% catheter to vein ratio was the ideal cut off point to maximise sensitivity and specificity (AUC 0.761; 95% CI 0.681-0.830). When a ratio of 46% or above was compared to one that was less than or equal to 45% using a log binomial generalised linear model it was found that participants with a catheter to vein ratio >45% were 13 times more likely to suffer VTE (relative risk 13, p=0.022; CI 1.445-122.788). CONCLUSION: It was found that a 45% catheter to vein ratio was the optimal cut off with high sensitivity and specificity to reduce the risk of VTE. However, further research is needed to confirm these results as although adequately powered; the number of cases of VTE was comparatively small, resulting in wide confidence intervals.

The patient experience of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC): A qualitative descriptive study.

UNLABELLED: Abstract Aim: To investigate the patient experience of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) insertion, the significance of arm choice and the impact of the device on activities of daily living. BACKGROUND: Arm choice for PICC insertion is often determined by PICC nurses with little input from consumers. There are few studies that have investigated the patient experience of living with a PICC and none that have examined the impact of arm choice from the consumer's perspective. METHOD: Participants were recruited in a hospital whilst they waited for PICC insertion. A purposeful sampling approach was used to select participants based on diagnosis types. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted November 2012-August 2013. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Ten participants were interviewed. Four themes were identified: (i) apprehension/adaptation/acceptance, (ii) impact of treatment, (iii) asking questions (trusting doctors) and (iv) freedom. Although initially apprehensive, participants adapted to the PICC and came to accept that the device allowed convenient access for treatment. This allowed them the freedom to receive treatment at home. The use of the dominant or non-dominant arm for PICC insertion had marginal impact on activities of daily living for participants. Auxiliary factors such as the infusion pump had a significant impact for those who received outpatient treatment. For those participants who did not understand the procedure, many did not seek clarification and trusted medical and nursing staff to make decisions for them. CONCLUSION: Nurses should involve consumers in clinical decision-making and provide individualised information and support that facilitates adaptation for patients living with a PICC.

Vein measurement by peripherally inserted central catheter nurses using ultrasound: A reliability study

Background Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are increasingly inserted by trained registered nurses, necessitating the development of specialized skills such as the use of ultrasound. The selection of an adequately sized vein is an important factor in reducing adverse events such as deep vein thrombosis. However, PICC nurses may receive minimal training in the use of ultrasound for vein measurement. Objective We aimed to demonstrate the reliability of a vein measurement protocol using ultrasound by a PICC nurse trained in sonography. Methods The diameter of the basilic, brachial, and cephalic veins in the left arms of healthy participants (n = 12) were measured using ultrasound by a PICC nurse and a sonographer. A PICC nurse performed the measurement twice and the sonographer once; the PICC nurse's results were compared for intra-rater reliability and compared with the sonographer for inter-rater reliability. The results were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results Inter-rater reliability between the PICC nurse and the sonographer was adequate, the ICC for the brachial vein was 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.87), basilic vein ICC was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.58-0.96) and cephalic vein ICC was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.39-0.93). Intra-rater reliability of the PICC nurse was higher; the ICC for the brachial vein was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.44-0.94), basilic vein ICC was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.67-0.98), and cephalic vein ICC was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.40-0.93). Conclusions Using a suitable protocol, a PICC nurse was able to measure vein diameter reliably when compared with a sonographer and consistently replicate these results.

Vein diameter for peripherally inserted cathether insertion: a scoping review

Background: The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be reduced if a vein of appropriate diameter is used forperipherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion. However, clinicians may have predilections to cannulate certainvein types and use particular insertion sites (eg, right or left arm) and therefore do not necessarily assess all veinsavailable to determine the most optimal vessel to introduce a catheter. It is important that clinicians have anunderstanding of the diameter of veins used for PICC insertion and the effect of patient factors such as hand dominanceon vein size to determine whether their clinical practice is appropriate.

Methods: A scoping review of published literature was performed to determine existing knowledge regarding thediameters of veins used for PICC insertion and the influence of patient factors such as hand dominance and laterality(left or right arm) on vein size.

Results: There was limited published research about the diameters of the basilic, brachial, and cephalic veins at themidupper arm, with only 6 studies identified. Three of the 6 selected articles focused on vein diameter measurement toinform arteriovenous fistula development. Only 1 study included participants undergoing PICC insertion. Scant researchexamined the effect of laterality on vein diameter and 1 study was identified that reported the influence of handdominance or vein type on the diameter of veins used for PICC insertion.

Conclusions: This review found that there is a paucity of studies that have examined the veins used for PICC insertion.Nevertheless, it appears that the basilic vein has the largest diameter (with smaller brachial and cephalic veins),although this is not always the case. Laterality and hand dominance does not seem to influence vein diameter. Furtherresearch about the vasculature used for PICC insertion is needed to inform clinical practice.

O enfermeiro e a utilização do cateter central de inserção periférica em recém-nascidos: contribuições à luz da segurança e bioética

Esta pesquisa teve como objeto de estudo a segurança do recém-nascido no processo de utilização do Cateter Central de Inserção Periférica (PICC) e, como objetivos: conhecer o significado de segurança para o enfermeiro no processo de utilização do PICC em recém-nascidos; descrever os cuidados prestados pelo enfermeiro no uso do PICC em recém-nascidos e analisar os nexos entre segurança e os princípios bioéticos no uso do PICC em recém-nascidos na prática assistencial dos enfermeiros. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo de abordagem qualitativa. O cenário foi a unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal de um Hospital Universitário localizado no município do Rio de Janeiro e os sujeitos, 11 enfermeiros plantonistas capacitados e que realizam a implantação do PICC em recém-nascidos. Para a coleta de dados realizou-se a entrevista semiestruturada, gravada em fita cassete, entre os meses de março e junho de 2012. Posteriormente estas foram transcritas e analisadas por meio da análise de conteúdo de Bardin, na modalidade temática e interpretada à luz dos princípios bioéticos e da segurança do paciente. Como resultados emergiram 04 categorias: Técnicas e Procedimentos, Cuidados com o recém-nascido, Aspectos relacionados à equipe e Aspectos relacionados à família. Para os enfermeiros, segurança no processo de utilização do PICC no recém-nascido, significa saber indicar o uso deste dispositivo de acordo com as peculiaridades de cada criança. Exercer cuidados antes, durante e após o uso do cateter, valorizar os cuidados técnicos relacionados ao procedimento, possuir conhecimento teórico-prático e ter disponibilidade de recursos materiais e humanos para desenvolver um cuidado seguro. Além de atentar para os registros e protocolos da unidade acerca desta prática assistencial. Para preservar a segurança do neonato, compreendem ser necessária a tomada de decisão em conjunto com o médico acerca do momento ideal para se implantar este dispositivo, bem como a escolha do tipo ideal de sedação para o mesmo, dentre outros aspectos. No processo de utilização do PICC, os enfermeiros entendem a manutenção da temperatura corporal, a realização de medidas de conforto perante a dor, a prevenção de infecções e o posicionamento adequado do recém-nascido durante o procedimento, como atitudes essenciais para a promoção de sua segurança. Buscam, também, esclarecer os pais quanto ao procedimento que será realizado com seu filho. Conclui-se que o enfermeiro, no que diz respeito à prática do PICC, atua de acordo com os princípios bioéticos de beneficência e não-maleficência, já que realiza sua assistência visando o bem-estar do neonato, procurando minimizar os desconfortos associados a esse procedimento. Apesar de esclarecerem os pais quanto ao procedimento que será realizado com seu filho, alguns enfermeiros, não os consultam previamente acerca da autorização para implantação deste dispositivo infringindo, assim, o princípio bioético da autonomia.

Étude de prévention de la thrombose veineuse associée au cathéter veineux central de type PICC chez les patients en oncologie recevant une chimiothérapie

Nous avons mené une étude prospective randomisée dans le but de comparer l'effet de l'irrigation du cathéter de type PICC avec deux types d'anticoagulants: Héparine standard et Tinzaparine, une héparine de faible poids moléculaire. Notre étude s'adresse aux patients de la clinique externe d'oncologie de l'hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. Entre début Mai 2005 et Mars 2008, nous avons recruté 131 patients dont 70 ont été randomisés. Parmi les 61 patients exclus, 23 n'ont pas rencontré les critères d'inclusion, 30 ont refusé de participer et 8 ne sont pas inclus pour d'autres raisons. Sur les 70, 36 sujets sont randomisés dans le groupe Héparine standard et 34 dans le groupe Tinzaparine. La population en intention de traiter comprend 65 sujets dont 32 dans le groupe Héparine standard et 33 dans le groupe Tinzaparine. Le médicament a été administré pendant un mombre maximal de 30 jours et les sujets ont été suivis pendant 90 jours. La thrombose veineuse associée au cathéter (TVAC) a été objectivée par une phlébographie ou une échographie-Doppler à la fin de la période de 30 jours suivant l'installation du cathéter. L'incidence de la TVAC sur 30 jours est de 14,39 par 1000 cathéter-jours (IC à 95%:[9,0;19,79]/1000 cathéter-jours ou 41,5% (27/65). L'incidence de la thrombose veineuse profonde (TVP) symptômatique du membre supérieur sur la période de suivi de 90 jours est de 0,41 par 1000 cathéter-jours (IC à 95%:[0,08;0,81]/1000 cathéter-jours ou 3% (2/65). Nous n'avons observé aucune différence entre les deux groupes par rapport à la fréquence de la TVAC ni de la TVP. Nous ne pouvons conclure à une différence dans l'efficacité de la Tinzaparine par rapport à l'Héparine standard dans la prévention de la TVAC.

Prevalência e motivos de remoção não eletiva do cateter central de inserção periférica em neonatos

Estudo transversal, realizado com 67 recém-nascidos internados em uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal de um hospital privado de São Paulo, entre julho e dezembro de 2010, submetidos a 84 inserções de Cateteres Centrais de Inserção Periférica (CCIP). Os objetivos foram descrever a prevalência de remoção não eletiva do cateter e seus motivos. Os dados foram coletados de prontuários médicos e do formulário de registro de informações sobre o cateter. A média de idade gestacional corrigida dos neonatos foi 32,8 semanas, peso 1.671,6 g e idade pós-natal 9,4 dias. A remoção não eletiva ocorreu em 33 (39,3%) cateteres, 13,1% por obstrução, 9,5% ruptura, 7,1% edema do membro, 6% suspeita de infecção, 1,2% tração acidental, 1,2% má perfusão e 1,2% extravasamento. A prevalência e os motivos de remoção não eletiva indicaram a necessidade de estratégias para a prevenção de complicações evitáveis relacionadas ao CCIP.

Intravascular device administration sets: Replacement after standard versus prolonged use in hospitalised patients--a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (The RSVP Trial)

Introduction Vascular access devices (VADs), such as peripheral or central venous catheters, are vital across all medical and surgical specialties. To allow therapy or haemodynamic monitoring, VADs frequently require administration sets (AS) composed of infusion tubing, fluid containers, pressure-monitoring transducers and/or burettes. While VADs are replaced only when necessary, AS are routinely replaced every 3–4 days in the belief that this reduces infectious complications. Strong evidence supports AS use up to 4 days, but there is less evidence for AS use beyond 4 days. AS replacement twice weekly increases hospital costs and workload. Methods and analysis This is a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial (RCT) of equivalence design comparing AS replacement at 4 (control) versus 7 (experimental) days. Randomisation is stratified by site and device, centrally allocated and concealed until enrolment. 6554 adult/paediatric patients with a central venous catheter, peripherally inserted central catheter or peripheral arterial catheter will be enrolled over 4 years. The primary outcome is VAD-related bloodstream infection (BSI) and secondary outcomes are VAD colonisation, AS colonisation, all-cause BSI, all-cause mortality, number of AS per patient, VAD time in situ and costs. Relative incidence rates of VAD-BSI per 100 devices and hazard rates per 1000 device days (95% CIs) will summarise the impact of 7-day relative to 4-day AS use and test equivalence. Kaplan-Meier survival curves (with log rank Mantel-Cox test) will compare VAD-BSI over time. Appropriate parametric or non-parametric techniques will be used to compare secondary end points. p Values of <0.05 will be considered significant.

Effectiveness of electrocardiographic guidance in CVAD tip placement

Background International standard practice for the correct confirmation of the central venous access device is the chest X-ray. The intracavitary electrocardiogram-based insertion method is radiation-free, and allows real-time placement verification, providing immediate treatment and reduced requirement for post-procedural repositioning. Methods Relevant databases were searched for prospective randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi RCTs that compared the effectiveness of electrocardiogram-guided catheter tip positioning with placement using surface-anatomy-guided insertion plus chest X-ray confirmation. The primary outcome was accurate catheter tip placement. Secondary outcomes included complications, patient satisfaction and costs. Results Five studies involving 729 participants were included. Electrocardiogram-guided insertion was more accurate than surface anatomy guided insertion (odds ratio: 8.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38; 50.07; p=0.02). There was a lack of reporting on complications, patient satisfaction and costs. Conclusion The evidence suggests that intracavitary electrocardiogram-based positioning is superior to surface-anatomy-guided positioning of central venous access devices, leading to significantly more successful placements. This technique could potentially remove the requirement for post-procedural chest X-ray, especially during peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line insertion.

Bacteriemia asociada a catéter epicutáneo en la unidad de cuidado intensivo neonatal de la Fundación Cardioinfantil

La bacteriemia asociada a catéter afecta a pacientes en las unidades de cuidado intensivo con una alta morbilidad, mortalidad y aumento de los costos al sistema de salud. Los recién nacidos son la población de más alto riesgo por el mayor uso de catéteres centrales. Objetivo: Caracterizar factores de riesgo para bacteriemia asociada a catéter en la Unidad de Cuidado Intensivo Neonatal de la Fundación Cardioinfantil entre 2005 - 2010 Materiales y método: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, incluyó todos los recién nacidos con diagnostico de bacteriemia asociada a catéter. Se analizó la información utilizando frecuencias y medidas de tendencia central. Resultados: Se encontraron 50 pacientes con diagnostico de bacteriemia asociada a catéter. 50% de género masculino, 52% con edad gestacional al nacimiento menor a 36 semanas y 24% con peso menor a 1500 gramos al momento de la inserción del catéter. La edad fue de 24.2 días al momento de la inserción del catéter. En el 66% de los pacientes el sitio de inserción fue el miembro superior, siendo el Sthaphylococcus Epidermidis el germen con el 50% de las bacteriemias. Conclusión: La bacteriemia asociada a catéter afecta paciente prematuros, de bajo peso sin diferencias en genero. La manipulación de dichos dispositivos, el sitio de inserción, el uso previo de antibióticos, la duración del catéter y el uso de nutrición parenteral son factores que están asociados al mayor riesgo de infección. Siendo el Staphylococcus Epidermidis el germen mas frecuente.

Epidemiologia da colonização e infecção microbiana em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal: abordagem clínica e molecular

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Heparin versus 0.9% sodium chloride intermittent flushing for the prevention of occlusion in long term central venous catheters in infants and children

Background Guidelines and clinical practice for the prevention of complications associated with central venous catheters (CVC) around the world vary greatly. Most institutions recommend the use of heparin to prevent occlusion, however there is debate regarding the need for heparin and evidence to suggest 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) may be as effective. The use of heparin is not without risk, may be unnecessary and is also associated with increased cost. Objectives To assess the clinical effects (benefits and harms) of intermittent flushing of heparin versus normal saline to prevent occlusion in long term central venous catheters in infants and children. Search Methods The Cochrane Vascular Trials Search Co-ordinator searched the Specialised Register (last searched April 2015) and the Cochrane Register of Studies (Issue 3, 2015). We also searched the reference lists of retrieved trials. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials that compared the efficacy of normal saline with heparin to prevent occlusion of long term CVCs in infants and children aged up to 18 years of age were included. We excluded temporary CVCs and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC). Data Collection and Analysis Two review authors independently assessed trial inclusion criteria, trial quality and extracted data. Rate ratios were calculated for two outcome measures - occlusion of the CVC and central line-associated blood stream infection. Other outcome measures included duration of catheter placement, inability to withdraw blood from the catheter, use of urokinase or recombinant tissue plasminogen, incidence of removal or re-insertion of the catheter, or both, and other CVC-related complications such as dislocation of CVCs, other CVC site infections and thrombosis. Main Results Three trials with a total of 245 participants were included in this review. The three trials directly compared the use of normal saline and heparin, however, between studies, all used different protocols for the standard and experimental arms with different concentrations of heparin and different frequency of flushes reported. In addition, not all studies reported on all outcomes. The quality of the evidence ranged from low to very low because there was no blinding, heterogeneity and inconsistency between studies was high and the confidence intervals were wide. CVC occlusion was assessed in all three trials (243 participants). We were able to pool the results of two trials for the outcomes of CVC occlusion and CVC-associated blood stream infection. The estimated rate ratio for CVC occlusion per 1000 catheter days between the normal saline and heparin group was 0.75 (95% CI 0.10 to 5.51, two studies, 229 participants, very low quality evidence). The estimated rate ratio for CVC-associated blood stream infection was 1.48 (95% CI 0.24 to 9.37, two studies, 231 participants; low quality evidence). The duration of catheter placement was reported to be similar between the two study arms, in one study (203 participants). Authors' Conclusions The review found that there was not enough evidence to determine the effects of intermittent flushing of heparin versus normal saline to prevent occlusion in long term central venous catheters in infants and children. Ultimately, if this evidence were available, the development of evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines and consistency of practice would be facilitated.