Complications of central venous catheterization in hemodialysis patients

When an acute hemodialysis in a patient with no arterio-venous shunt is needed, placement of a central venous catheter (CVC) is the ultimate solution. Otherwise a simple procedure may present with numerous complications. The authors describe their experiences with early and late complications of CVC in 106 patients. Complications occured in 20 patients out of 106, a trend comparable or better than previously published by various authors. The most frequent (16 cases) complication was a catheter-related sepsis. All patients recovered, however in two patients a replacement of CVC was necessary due to the failure of antibiotic treatment. The authors describe the possibility of maintaining the CVC in situ longer than the recommended 1--2 weeks period without more frequent complications. This finding may result from an excellent service provided by the dialysis nurses and from patient education.