Vacutainer filling time through subcutaneous venous access devices

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Vascular Access
• Surgical Procedures

Background:

• Subcutaneous venous access device functionality is typically assessed subjectively during use.
• Objective evaluation of port function, particularly withdrawal speed, is rarely performed.
• This study aimed to establish an objective, standardized method for assessing newly inserted port functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an objective method for evaluating the withdrawal speed of newly inserted subcutaneous venous access ports.
• To establish a benchmark for normal withdrawal function immediately post-insertion.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized study involving 876 newly inserted central venous ports across three different types (BardPort, Celsite, Port-a-cath).
• Evaluation involved measuring the time to fill a 10 ml Vacutainer tube with heparinized normal saline.
• Measurements were taken at the end of the surgical procedure.

Main Results:

• The median time to fill a 10 ml Vacutainer tube across all ports was 17.00 seconds.
• Specific median filling times were: BardPort (16.36s), Celsite (18.35s), and Port-a-cath (16.43s).
• A statistically significant difference of 2 seconds was observed between large-bore (BardPort, Port-a-cath) and small-bore (Celsite) catheters.

Conclusions:

• Withdrawal speed measurement provides an objective criterion for assessing venous access port quality post-insertion.
• A filling time exceeding 20 seconds for a 10 ml Vacutainer tube is proposed as a threshold for further investigation.
• This objective measure can aid in early identification of potential port dysfunction.