title: Peripherally inserted central catheter in extremely preterm infants: Characteristics and influencing factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the duration of catheter stay, incidence of non-elective removal and rates of complications associated with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in relation to different catheter positions in extremely preterm infants (EPT, <28 weeks of gestation).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICCs) inserted in EPT infants over a 10-year period, from January 2004 through December 2013 (mean gestational age, 25.2 weeks; mean birth weight, 727 g).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 379 PICCs analyzed, the majority of lines (68%) were placed in the central position, and 259 PICCs (56%) were removed electively after fulfilment of the treatment. Significantly more PICCs in the lower extremities compared to the upper extremities were in central positions (86% vs 61%, p < 0.001, respectively). Significantly more PICCs that were removed electively after fulfilment of the treatment were in a central position compared to a non-central position (p < 0.001). Of the 166 catheters that were removed because of complications, most (71%) of them had mechanical problems, and 13% had sepsis resulting in an incidence rate of 4.4/1000 catheter days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PICCs inserted in the lower extremity were more likely to have a centrally placed tip position compared to PICC lines inserted in the upper extremities.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lööf Åström
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olofsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fridlund
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farooqi
mesh_terms: D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D062905:Central Venous Catheters; D020878:Device Removal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Central position; complications; extremely preterm infants; peripherally inserted central catheters