Correlation between "malfunctioning events" and catheter-related infections in pediatric cancer patients bearing tunneled indwelling central venous catheter: results of a prospective observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the possible link between malfunctioning events and catheter related infections in indwelling central venous devices in children with cancer.


METHODS
Prospective observation of 418 devices inserted in 2 Italian tertiary care pediatric cancer centers. The presence of a relationship was identified if a malfunctioning event was followed by a catheter related infection within 10 days, or vice versa.


RESULTS
The 418 catheters were followed for a period of 107,012 days. Among the malfunctioning events 2 out of 141 (1%) were followed by a catheter related infection while among infectious episodes 3 out of 93 (3%) were followed by a malfunctioning event.


CONCLUSIONS
Malfunctioning events followed by catheter related infections and catheter related infections followed by malfunctioning are both rare events in children with cancer.
Castagnola
Elio
E
Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Hematology and Oncology, G. Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
Fratino
Giuseppe
G
Valera
Mariangela
M
Giacchino
Mareva
M
Haupt
Riccardo
R
Molinari
Angelo Claudio
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents