Peripherally inserted central venous catheter-associated complications exert negative effects on body weight gain in...

The placement of a peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) is an essential procedure in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The aim of this study was to determine the risk of PICC complications in NICU, and further identify the effects of PICC complications on body weight gain in premature infants.

A total of 304 premature infants who had a PICC inserted in NICU were enrolled in this study. The weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) at the time of PICC insertion and removal were calculated, and changes of WAZ in different groups were compared using a t-test. Risk factors for PICC complications were assessed using the chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression analysis.

Thirty (9.97%) PICCs were removed due to complications. Of them, 14 PICCs were removed because of non-infectious complications and 16 PICCs were removed for central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that premature infants with birth weight >1,500 g were less likely to have PICC complications than infants with birth weight <=1,500 g (OR, 0.29; 95% CI: 0.10-0.82; p=0.020). In addition, the changes in WAZ between PICC insertion and removal were significantly different in both infectious (-0.144±0.122, p<0.005) and non-infectious (-0.65±0.528, p<0.001) complications groups, compared with the no complications group (0.291±0.552).

Findings from this study suggest that birth weight is a risk factor for PICC-associated complications in the NICU, and both infectious and non-infectious PICC complications are associated with poor body weight gain in premature infants.