title: Catheter complications in AIDS patients treated for cytomegalovirus retinitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the complications of central venous catheter use for intravenous therapy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in patients with AIDS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 388 patients with AIDS and CMV retinitis treated with intravenous medications through an indwelling catheter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The catheter complication rate was 1.2 complications per person-year (0.33 complications per 100 catheter-days). Current injecting drug use increased the risk of infectious complications [hazard ratio (HR), 1.73; P=0.04] whereas former use did not (HR, 0.96; P=0.88). Subdermal port catheters increased the risk of bacteremia (HR, 1.78; P=0.05). Mortality for the first complication was 5.8%. Forty percent of patients required catheter removal, and 86.8% of these patients required reinsertion of another catheter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Catheter complications are a substantial problem in patients with CMV retinitis treated with daily intravenous therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Thorne
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jabs
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Semba
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017726:Cytomegalovirus Retinitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome