Why the study?
Does the use of Hickman right atrial catheters increase serious catheter-related complications compared to Broviac catheters in pediatric oncology patients?
Does the use of Hickman right atrial catheters increase serious catheter-related complications compared to Broviac catheters in pediatric oncology patients?
Hickman right atrial catheters provide total venous access in pediatric oncology patients with a complication rate comparable to standard Broviac catheters.
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Hickman catheters showed sepsis rates comparable to Broviac in this pediatric oncology case series; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Eighteen pediatric oncology inpatients had 21 Hickman right atrial catheters placed for total venous access; 16 patients received parenteral nutrition. Mean duration of catheterization was 43 +/- 29 (SD) days. Four catheters had to be removed for infection or clotting. The catheter-related sepsis rate was 10%. Serious catheter-related complications were no more frequent in this population than in patients receiving only parenteral nutrition via Broviac or pediatric Broviac catheters.
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Merritt et al. (1981) studied this question.
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