title: Comparison of the pediatric Broviac silastic catheter with a standard no. 3 French silastic catheter for central venous alimentation.
abstract: Two No. 3 French silastic central venous catheters designed for infants, a pediatric Broviac catheter, and a standard infant catheter were used in 41 (group I) and 33 infants (group II), respectively, to compare the effectiveness of each in providing access to the central venous circulation. Group I patients used 52 Broviac catheters or 1.2 catheters per patient for an average of 75 days per catheter. Thirty-five patients had one catheter placed. Group II patients had 66 catheters or 2.0 catheters per patient for an average of 45 days per catheter. One episode of sepsis occurred for every 1,950 days of usage in group I, but in group II, one episode occurred every 750 days. Eight of 52 catheter placements in group I were associated with localized infections at the catheter insertion site, but this was the case with only two of 66 catheters in group II. Dislodgement of the catheter occurred four times as frequently in group II as compared with group I. Repair of cracked catheters was successfully completed in 90% of those in group I, but none in group II. The pediatric Broviac catheter proved to be more durable than a standard No. 3 French silastic catheter.
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D014684:Venae Cavae