Polyurethane II catheter as long-indwelling intravenous catheter in patients with cancer.
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.
Volkow
Patricia
P
Instituto Nacional de Cancerologa, México.
Vázquez
Carolina
C
Téllez
Odilia
O
Aguilar
Catalina
C
Barrera
Laura
L
Rodrgíuez
Eneida
E
Vilar-Compte
Diana
D
Zinser
Juan
J
Calderón
Ernesto
E
Pérez-Padilla
José Rogelio
JR
Mohar
Alejandro
A
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
D011140:Polyurethanes