TUNNELED, DOUBLE-LUMEN BROVIAC CATHETERS ARE USEFUL, EFFICIENT AND SAFE IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING PERIPHERAL-BLOOD PROGENITOR-CELL HARVESTING AND TRANSPLANTATION
K. Leibundgut et al., TUNNELED, DOUBLE-LUMEN BROVIAC CATHETERS ARE USEFUL, EFFICIENT AND SAFE IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING PERIPHERAL-BLOOD PROGENITOR-CELL HARVESTING AND TRANSPLANTATION, Bone marrow transplantation, 17(4), 1996, pp. 663-667
We prospectively evaluated performance, efficiency, safety and complia
nce of large-bore central venous catheters (Cook TPN(R); Cook (Switzer
land) AG) introduced via saphenous veins in 32 children and infants el
ected to undergo peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) harvesting an
d transplantation (PBPCT), With these catheters a flow rate (25-65 ml/
min) adequate for leukapheresis was achieved in all patients, There we
re no important catheter-related complications during harvest, The tot
al duration of catheter placement was 4569 days (median, 139 days; ran
ge, 8-268 days), During this period which included conditioning and PB
PCT, we observed five mechanical complications and 12 septic episodes
not necessarily catheter-related (0.11 and 0.26 events per 100 cathete
r days, respectively), All infections resolved after systemic antibiot
ic treatment, There was no exit or tunnel area infection, and no cathe
ter had to be removed due to infection, Two catheters were replaced be
cause of displacement, Tunneled double lumen Broviac catheters introdu
ced via saphenous veins were not only efficient and safe, they were al
so well accepted by children and young adults undergoing PBPC harvesti
ng and transplantation.