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Nontunneled central venous catheters in patients with AIDS are associated with a low infection rate

D J Skiest1, P Grant, P Keiser

  • 1The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9133, USA.

Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology : Official Publication of the International Retrovirology Association
|March 12, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Nontunneled central venous catheters (NT-CVCs) are safe and cost-effective for patients with HIV/AIDS, showing low complication and infection rates comparable to other devices. These findings support NT-CVCs as a viable alternative for long-term intravenous therapy in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Devices
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) often require long-term central venous access for intravenous (IV) therapy.
  • Central venous catheters (CVCs) are essential for managing chronic conditions in HIV-infected individuals.
  • Assessing the safety and efficacy of different CVC types is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the complication and infection rates of nontunneled, nonimplantable central venous catheters (NT-CVCs) in HIV-infected patients.
  • To compare these rates with historical data for tunneled and totally implantable CVCs in similar patient populations.
  • To determine if specific patient factors influence infection rates.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for HIV-infected patients who received CVCs over a 1-year period.
  • Analysis focused on 142 NT-CVCs used for 11,041 catheter days.
  • Complication and infection rates (including bacteremia) were calculated per 1000 catheter days.

Main Results:

  • The overall complication rate for NT-CVCs was 5.1/1000 catheter days.
  • The total infection rate was 2.8/1000 catheter days, with a serious infection (bacteremia) rate of 1.4/1000 catheter days.
  • No significant association was found between infection rates and HIV risk factors, catheter indications, medications, catheter ports, insertion site, or neutropenia.

Conclusions:

  • NT-CVCs demonstrated low complication and infection rates in HIV-infected patients.
  • These rates were comparable to those observed with more invasive CVCs in historical data.
  • NT-CVCs represent a safe, cost-effective alternative for central venous access in patients with HIV/AIDS.

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