Safety and Efficacy of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients: Single Institute Experience.
10.14475/kjhpc.2014.17.3.179
- Author:
Kwonoh PARK
1
;
Hyoung Gun LIM
;
Ji Yeon HONG
;
Hunho SONG
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, KEPCO Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Peripheral venous catheterization;
Central venous catheterization;
Hospice care;
Terminal care;
Palliative care
- MeSH:
Catheterization;
Catheterization, Central Venous;
Catheterization, Peripheral;
Catheters*;
Delirium;
Hospice Care;
Humans;
Palliative Care;
Retrospective Studies;
Rivers;
Terminal Care;
Terminally Ill*;
Thrombosis
- From:Korean Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
2014;17(3):179-184
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: We investigated the safety and efficacy of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in terminally ill cancer patients. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who underwent PICC at the hospice-palliative division of KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation) Medical Center between January 2013 and December 2013. All PICCs were inserted by an interventional radiologist. RESULTS: A total of 30 terminally ill cancer patients received the PICC procedure during the study period. Including one patient who had had two PICC insertions during the period, we analyzed a total of 31 episodes of catheterization and 571 PICC days. The median catheter life span was 14.0 days (range, 1~90 days). In 25 cases, catheters were maintained until the intended time (discharge, transfer, or death), while they were removed prematurely in six other cases (19%; 10.5/1000 PICC days). Thus, the catheter maintenance success rate was 81%. Of those six premature PICC removal cases, self-removal due to delirium occurred in four cases (13%; 7.0/1000 PICC days), and catheter-related blood stream infection and thrombosis were reported in one case, each (3%; 1.8/1000 PICC days). Complication cases totaled eight (26%; 14.1/1000 PICC days). The time to complication development ranged from two to 14 days and the median was seven days. There was no PICC complication-related death. CONCLUSION: Considering characteristics of terminally ill cancer patients, such as a poor general condition, vulnerability to trivial damage, and a limited period of survival, PICC could be a safe intravenous procedure.
