title: Prospective follow-up of complications related to peripherally inserted central catheters.
abstract: An increased use of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) in French hospitals has been observed in recent years. We report complications having occurred following the placement of PICC in a teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was made for 7 months, between October 2010 and April 2011, including all patients having undergone PICC placement in interventional radiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and sixty-seven PICC were inserted in 222 patients for intravenous antibiotic therapy (68%), parenteral nutrition (13%), or chemotherapy (9%). The median duration of PICC use was 17 days (min-max: 1-140) for the 200 PICC monitored until removal. The most common complication was obstruction (n=41), 16 of which motivated PICC removal (8%). Five cases of vein thrombosis (2.5%) and 20 infectious complications (10%) led to removal. There were 14 accidental removals (7%). The overall infection rate was 2.3 per 1000 catheter-days with 0.86 per 1000 catheter-days for central line-associated bloodstream infection. Thirty-four percent of PICC were removed without any complications without any difference according to use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PICC are a simple alternative to standard central venous catheter but the rate of complications is high and could be decreased by a stringent management and training for this type of catheter.
authors.affiliation: Service d'hygiène hospitalière, groupe hospitalier Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, bâtiment PQR 1(er) étage, place Amélie-Raba-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France. camille.leroyer@chu-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leroyer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lashéras
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marie
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Le Bras
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carteret
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dupon
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rogues
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D020878:Device Removal; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Cathéter veineux central inséré par voie périphérique; Health-care associated infection; Infection associée aux soins; Interventional radiology; Peripherally inserted central catheters; Radiologie interventionnelle