Survival of intravenous chemotherapy infusion sites

Factors associated with the failure of intravenous infusions due to phlebitis and extravasation were studied with 218 infusions delivering cytotoxic drugs. The survival rate of these infusions was not significantly different from that of 56 non-cytotoxic infusions in oncology patients. Although survival analysis indicated that cisplatin was associated with longer survival, this was probably an artifact caused by this drug usually being preceded by 24 h prehydration. Multivariate analysis indicated that etoposide was the only drug associated with decreased infusion survival and that bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, ifosphamide, methotrexate, treosulphan and 5-fluorouracil had no significant effects. Also age of patient, infusion site and flow rate had no effects but survival was shorter in women. Follow-up indicated that failure of an infusion tended to result in loss of the vein. It is suggested that irritancy of the large volumes of intravenous fluids given to hydrate these patients rather than the cytotoxic drugs was the main factor reducing the survival of these infusions.