Central venous catheter in bone marrow transplant [BMT] patients experience in 75 patients

In this study, mechanical and infectious complications related to externalized central venous catheters [Hickman] inserted in 75 patients who underwent BMT were analyzed. The number of lines infected was 17. Catheter related septicemia was recorded in seven patients. Tunnel infection was documented in five cases. The overall incidence of mechanical complications was 23%. It was concluded that Hickman central venous lines are essential components of care in patients undergoing BMT and have relatively low complications rate