title: Correlation between "malfunctioning events" and catheter-related infections in pediatric cancer patients bearing tunneled indwelling central venous catheter: results of a prospective observational study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Hematology and Oncology, G. Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castagnola
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fratino
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valera
authors.forename: Mareva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giacchino
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haupt
authors.forename: Angelo Claudio
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Molinari
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents