Evaluation of subclavian catheters in gynecologic cancer patients

Sixty-eight semipermanent subclavian catheters were placed in 61 patients with gynecologic malignancies. The principal indicator for placement was chemotherapeutic administration. Other uses included blood transfusion, antibiotic infusion, and hyperalimentation. The minor complication rate of 21% included exit site infections and clotted, broken, and dislodged catheters. There were no acute surgical complications; i.e., bleeding or pneumothorax, but there was a 6% major complication rate, which included four cases of sepsis and a case of a broken intravascular catheter.