Broken clamp on a cuffed tunneled catheter--are all catheters equal?

The use of a cuffed tunneled catheter (CTC) as an initial access in the incident hemodialysis population in the United States remains high. Several different brands of catheters are available for clinical use. Their mechanical problems (such as broken clamps, hubs or leaking and cracked extension tubes) are seldom reported in the literature, even though they add to morbidity and higher health care expense. This study highlights issues related to commonly used catheters and suggests, in the interest of patient safety, a need for improved regulatory oversight in the manufacturing of CTCs.