title: The use of short-term central venous catheters for optimizing continuous infusion of coagulation factor concentrate in haemophilia patients undergoing major surgical procedures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Continuous infusion (CI) of clotting factors has facilitated surgical procedures and intensive replacement therapy in haemophilia patients. This procedure could, however, be further optimized by using a short-term central venous catheter (CVCs) instead of via peripheral venous access.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this paper, we present our results on using a short-term CVC in haemophilia patients during major surgical operations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 40 patients with haemophilia A or B (37 and 3, respectively), aged 21-81 years, underwent 67 surgeries with 65 CVCs. Patients requiring intensive treatment lasting over 5 days had the indications for CVC placement. The catheters were placed by experienced anaesthesiologists in the operating theatre under general anaesthesia and following activated partial thromboplastin time correction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No interruption of CI was observed and only one catheter had to be removed prematurely due to a suspected infection. There were no signs found for prosthesis or wound infection, nor was there any thrombosis documented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study produced encouraging results regarding the use of short-term CVCs in haemophilia patients. Even though our patient sample was small, the data corroborates short-term CVCs to be safe and convenient for factor concentrate delivery in CI during major surgical operations.
authors.affiliation: Haemostasis and Thrombosis Unit, Division of Haematology, Haemophilia Clinic, Saint-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.|Division of Haematology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boban
authors.affiliation: Haemostasis and Thrombosis Unit, Division of Haematology, Haemophilia Clinic, Saint-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.affiliation: Haemostasis and Thrombosis Unit, Division of Haematology, Haemophilia Clinic, Saint-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hermans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D062905:Central Venous Catheters; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors
keywords: central venous catheter; continuous infusion; factor concentrate; haemophilia; surgery; venous access