title: Comparative study of percutaneous nephrostomy using catheters with and without locking strings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although it is generally felt that a catheter with a locking string can achieve better fixation and thus prevent catheter displacement, no formal study has ever substantiated this.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the charts from 80 patients (mean age of 64.6 ± 14.76 y) who underwent percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) over a 1-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most patients had catheters without locking strings and only 17 patients (21.3%) had catheters with locking strings. The median duration of catheter placement was 29 days (interquartile range 14 - 57 d). There were no significant differences in patients' characteristics or catheter outcomes between catheters with and catheters without locking strings (p > 0.05). In addition, no significant difference in the catheter 90-day survival between catheter types was found (log rank test, p = 0.638). On univariate analysis, tumor as an indication for PCN (p = 0.018), obstruction (p = 0.021) and displacement (p = 0.007) were associated with reduced catheter survival. The multivariate analysis indicated that tumor as an indication for PCN (HR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.13 - 0.63, p = 0.002), obstruction (HR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08 - 0.77, p = 0.015) and catheter displacement (HR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03 - 0.31, p < 0.001) were independent hazard factors for reduced catheter 90-day survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant difference in either complication rate or 90-day survival was found between catheters with or without locking strings. These findings may prove helpful to the clinician in deciding the type of catheter to use during PCN.
authors: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cheng-Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: M-T
authors: MT
authors: Chuang
authors: C-H
authors: CH
authors: Lu
authors: Y-S
authors: YS
authors: Tsai
authors: H-M
authors: HM
authors: Tsai
authors: T-N
authors: TN
authors: Kuo
authors: Y-S
authors: YS
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods