title: Indications, management, and complications of percutaneous subclavian catheters. An audit.
abstract: A retrospective outcome-oriented audit was conducted to determine the complications associated with percutaneous infraclavicular subclavian catheters in a university hospital. The study is unique since patients having these catheters were not under the care of a select group of physicians and the patients were not restricted to a special nursing unit. One hundred and seventeen catheters were placed in 68 patients. Seventeen types of complications were audited. There were 13 complications (11%) identified as follows: pneumothorax, seven; subcutaneous emphysema, one; subclavian artery hematoma, one; pleural effusion, one; improper position, two; and sepsis, one. No mortality was associated with catheter placement. Pattern analysis suggested physician inexperience as an important cause of complications. The difficulties of establishing a retrospective audit based on documentation errors and omissions are discussed.
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013350:Subclavian Vein