Central venous catheters: evaluation of 310 catheters placed at the Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Abstract

An analysis was made from clinical cases of 180 patients with 310 central system catheters for the following indications: a) massive administration of IV fluids, b) patient monitoring on critical patients, and c) parenteral nutrition. The principal diagnosis was sepsis in 32.7% and trauma in 32.8%: 60% of the catheters were placed by veno dissection, and the rest by the percutaneous route. The average catheter length was five days. The most frequent access site to the central venous system was the external juyugal vein in 51.6%, followed by subclavian catheterization in 36.6% of the catheters withdrawn due to technical difficulties and 8.6% due to infection suspicion or demonstrated infection. The catheter tipo culture and sensitivity grew 46 kinds of bacteriae, 63% being enterobacteriaces. The most frequent complication was pneumothorax, and there was no death attributed directly to the catheter.