title: Peripherally inserted central catheter thrombosis incidence and risk factors in cancer patients: a double-center prospective investigation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are widely used in chemotherapy, but the reported PICC thrombosis incidence varies greatly, and risks of PICC thrombosis are not well defined. This study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of PICC-related upper extremity vein thrombosis in cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study conducted in two tertiary referral hospitals from May 2010 to February 2013. Cancer patients who were subject to PICC placement were enrolled and checked by Doppler ultrasound weekly for at least 1 month. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied for identification of risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and eleven cancer patients were enrolled in the study. One hundred and sixty (51.4%) developed PICC thrombosis, of which 87 (54.4%) cases were symptomatic. The mean time interval from PICC insertion to thrombosis onset was 11.04±5.538 days. The univariable logistic regression analysis showed that complications (odds ratio [OR] 1.686, P=0.032), less activity (OR 1.476, P=0.006), obesity (OR 3.148, P=0.000), and chemotherapy history (OR 3.405, P=0.030) were associated with PICC thrombosis. Multivariate analysis showed that less activity (OR 9.583, P=0.000) and obesity (OR 3.466, P=0.014) were significantly associated with PICC thrombosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of PICC thrombosis is relatively high, and nearly half are asymptomatic. Less activity and obesity are risk factors of PICC-related thrombosis.
authors: Oncology Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yuxiu
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Nursing Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yufang
authors: Y
authors: Gao
authors: Nursing Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Wei
authors: Oncology Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
authors: Weifen
authors: W
authors: Chen
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiaoyan
authors: X
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Breast Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, People's Republic of China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Song
keywords: PICC; catheter-related thrombosis; clinical study; complication; upper extremity vein thrombosis