[Application of optimized catheter management strategy in interhospital patients transition with extracorporeal...

To discuss the effect of optimized catheter management strategy on reducing the incidence of catheter-related adverse events in interhospital patients transition with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

A historical control trial was conducted. The patients transferred with ECMO to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2018 to December 2020 were enrolled. From January 2019 to December 2020, 38 patients with interhospital transport using optimized catheter management strategy were as observation group; from January to December in 2018, 30 patients with routine catheter management method were selected as the control group. The incidence of catheter-related adverse events during transition was compared between the two groups.

There were no significant differences in clinical data such as age, number of catheters, transit time, transit distance, ECMO operation time between the observation group and the control group [age (years old): 58.26±10.38 vs. 54.00±16.61, number of catheters (roots): 6.03±1.32 vs. 5.51±1.37, transit time (hours): 2.48±0.30 vs. 2.51±0.39, transfer distance (kilometers): 155.27±20.45 vs. 165.56±25.62, ECMO operating time (days): 8.47±1.28 vs. 9.11±1.99, all P > 0.05]. The incidence of catheter-related adverse events in the control group was 26.67% (8/30), among them, 2 patients had ECMO catheter discount after getting over the bed, causing the flow alarm; 1 patient's central venous catheter (CVC) was not placed with U-shape and twisted, the vasopressors were not entered in time, which caused hypotension; 3 patients had more bleeding at the puncture points and film crimping; the urinary catheters were clamped in 2 patients and not opened in time. In the observation group, the patients did not have catheter-related adverse events during transition. There was statistically significant difference in the incidence of catheter-related adverse events between the two groups (χ² = 7.814, P < 0.05).

The implementation of optimized catheter management strategy can greatly reduce the incidence of catheter-related adverse events and provide an effective safety guarantee for the interhospital transit of ECMO patients.