Groshong catheter-related complications in children with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Children with cancer undergo intensive treatments requiring reliable vascular access. Central venous catheters (CVCs) reduce discomfort due to venipuncture and the risks of extravasations from chemotherapy administration. The aim of our retrospective study was to assess safety and complications of Groshong devices in children with cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred ninety Groshong CVCs were placed in 166 children over a 5-year period. Early complications, and infectious and mechanical events were collected.

RESULTS: The mean period of permanence of the CVCs was 330 days per patient (range 7-1,037). Of the febrile episodes, 36 (34.6%) were CVC-related, with an incidence rate of 0.56 per 1,000 CVC days. Severe neutropenia conditions most of all complicated CVC-related infectious events (94.4%) and Gram-negative bacteria were those most often isolated (55%). Twenty CVCs were affected by mechanical or thrombotic complications, with an incidence of 0.33 episodes per 1,000 CVC days. Mechanical complications led to CVC removal in 6 (3.1%) cases, while CVC-related infective episodes were responsible for 10 (5.2%) CVC removals.

CONCLUSIONS: The long in situ duration of this device allowed it to be safely employed from the beginning to the end of the treatment period in most children.