title: Central venous port-related infection in patients with malignant tumors: an observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the characteristics of central venous port (CVP)-related infection with microbiological assessments in patients with malignant tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective setting, patients with CVP for the treatment of malignant tumors were enrolled in this study. The incidence of CVP-related infection during three months was determined. Microbiological surveillance from skin swab was performed before and after CVP placement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-nine patients were enrolled in this study, and 60 CVPs were implanted. Thirty-six (61%) patients had head and neck malignancies. Access route was subclavian vein in 43 (71.7%) CVPs and forearm vein in 17 (28.3%). CVP-related infection was observed in three (5.1%) patients: port-pocket infection in one and probable CVP-related infection in two patients, respectively. No definitive CVP-related bloodstream infection was observed. Before the placement of CVP, colonization at the insertion site was observed in ten subclavian CVP patients, while no colonization was observed in the forearm CVP patients. At 1 and 4 weeks, detection rates of colonization were also higher in subclavian CVP patients. No definitive relationship was demonstrated between skin colonization and clinical development of CVP-related infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of CVP-related infection in this prospective evaluation in patients with malignant tumors was comparable to previous studies. Colonization of the skin was more prominent in the subclavian site than in the forearm site. Although skin colonization was not proven to be a risk factor of infection, these results may draw attention to the adequate maintenance of CVP. (
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  UMIN000003664).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka 020-8505, Japan. a.akahane@gmail.com
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akahane
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehara
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suwabe
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itabashi
authors.forename: Kashiwaba
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masahiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies