Right atrial catheter-related complications in pediatric oncology patients: the situation in a developing country

The complications of right atrial catheters (RACs) in pediatric oncology patients are unknown for centers in developing countries. This study examined the complications of RACs at Ankara University Medical School, Turkey. A total of 90 RACs were placed in 61 children for long-term chemotherapy with a total experience of 15,536 catheter days. The rate of catheter-related sepsis was 4.9 episodes per 1000 catheter days. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Candida species were the most common organisms, accounting for 25.0 and 13.1% of all organisms, respectively. The most common reasons for the removal of the RACs were infection (42.4%) and dislodgement (32.2%). The rates of complications were significantly higher in this study than in western studies. This increase could be explained by the differences in catheter care practices in the Turkish center. In conclusion, the use of RACs in a developing country necessitates an appraisal of the benefits and risks for each patient and improvement of catheter care procedures.