Peripherally inserted central catheters in orthopedic patients: Experience from 1023 procedures

Abstract

Objectives: The advantages of using a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in hospitalized patients make this device very important for intravenous therapy. This study describes the use of PICCs at the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo over the last 10 years. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 1,057 medical records and included 1,023 medical files with complete information on the punctured vein, diagnosis, duration of catheterization, complications, and catheter tip positioning. Results: Seven hundred and twenty PICCs (70.4%) were considered successfully positioned, and mean duration of catheterization was 34.3 days. The basilic vein was used in 528 (51.6%) patients, while 157 (15.4%) catheters were removed due to complications. No cases of catheter-related thrombosis or infection were found. Eight hundred and sixty-six (84.6%) patients completed their treatment with PICC in place. Conclusion: PICC is a safe intravenous device that can be successfully utilized for medium- and long-course intravenous therapy in hospitalized and discharged orthopedic patients.