Different distances between central venous catheter tips can affect antibiotic clearance during continuous renal replacement therapy

Abstract Background The aim of this experimental study was to elucidate whether different distances between central venous catheter tips can affect drug clearance during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Central venous catheters (CVCs) are widely used in intensive care patients for drug infusion. If a patient receives CRRT, a second central dialysis catheter (CDC) is required. Where to insert CVCs is directed by guidelines, but recommendations regarding how to place multiple catheters are scarce. There are indications that a drug infused in a CVC with the tip close to the tip of the CDC, could be directly aspirated into the dialysis machine, with a risk of increased clearance. However, studies on whether clearance is affected by different CVC and CDC tip positions, when the two catheters are in the same vessel, are few. Methods In this model with 18 piglets, gentamicin (GM) and vancomycin (VM) were infused through a CVC during CRRT. The CVC tip was placed in different positions in relation to the CDC tip from caudal, i.e., proximal to the heart, to cranial, i.e., distal to the heart. Serum and dialysate concentrations were sampled after approximately 30 min of CRRT at four different positions: when the CVC tip was 2 cm caudally (+ 2), at the same level (0), and at 2 (− 2) and 4 (− 4) cm cranially of the tip of the CDC. Clearance was calculated. A mixed linear model was performed, and level of significance was set to p < 0.05. Results Clearance of GM had median values at + 2 cm, 0 cm, − 2 cm and − 4 cm of 17.3 (5.2), 18.6 (7.4), 20.0 (16.2) and 26.2 (12.2) ml/min, respectively ( p = 0.04). Clearance of VM had median values at + 2 cm, 0 cm, − 2 cm and − 4 cm of 16.2 (4.5), 14.7 (4.9), 19.0 (10.2) and 21.2 (11.4) ml/min, respectively ( p = 0.02). Conclusions The distance between CVC and CDC tips can affect drug clearance during CRRT. A cranial versus a caudal tip position of the CVC in relation to the tip of the CDC led to the highest clearance.