TUNNELED, DOUBLE-LUMEN BROVIAC CATHETERS ARE USEFUL, EFFICIENT AND SAFE IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING PERIPHERAL-BLOOD PROGENITOR-CELL HARVESTING AND TRANSPLANTATION

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.