title: Polyurethane II catheter as long-indwelling intravenous catheter in patients with cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Silicone has been the standard material for indwelling devices to date. Polyurethane II exhibits properties that makes it suitable as a component of long-indwelling vascular access, with the added advantage of low cost.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the experience of an intravenous therapy team with 206 polyurethane II catheters used as long-indwelling vascular access in patients with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  All polyurethane II single- and double-lumen catheters implanted between January 1, 1994, and March 15, 1995, were analyzed, including time of stay and type and rate of infectious and noninfectious complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 206 catheters were placed--164 single-lumen and 42 double-lumen catheters--in 190 patients; average stay was 101 days (range, 1-445 days). The infection incidence rate was 0.66 per 1000 catheter-days for single-lumen catheters and 1.6 per 1000 catheter-days for double-lumen catheters. Noninfectious complications included 1 thrombosis (incidence rate, 0.06 per 1000 catheter-days for single-lumen and none for double-lumen catheters), 5 catheter ruptures (2.4%), and 1 pneumothorax (0.48%). Twelve catheters (8.3%) were removed because of complications; only 1 was infectious. The remaining 17 infectious episodes (94.4%) were resolved without catheter removal. Our complication rate with single-lumen catheters in this series was similar to our previous experience with a nontunneled silicone catheter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that polyurethane II catheters have proven useful and safe as long-indwelling vascular access in patients with cancer at our hospital at a considerably lower cost.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Cancerologa, México.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Volkow
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: Odilia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Téllez
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: Eneida
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodrgíuez
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vilar-Compte
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zinser
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calderón
authors.forename: José Rogelio
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pérez-Padilla
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011140:Polyurethanes
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes