Central venous catheter-related thrombosis in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study by ultrasonography / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective Doppler ultrasonography was used to screen the incidence of central venous catheter (CVC) thrombosis in severe patients to observe the incidences of catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) at subclavian (SC) and internal jugular (IJ) venous insertion sites, and to analyze the factors affecting the thrombosis. Methods One hundred and twenty three adult patients with IJ or SC CVC admitted to the Department of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from May to December 2015 were enrolled to be the research objects, they were divided into an IJCVC group (35 cases) and a SCCVC group (88 cases) according to different catheterization sites; they were divided into an operation group (85 cases) and a non-operation group (38 cases) according to whether operation was performed or not; and they were also divided into an anticoagulation group (25 cases) and a non-anticoagulation group (98 cases) according to whether anticoagulation therapy was used or not. Doppler ultrasonography was performed every day to observe the incidences of CRT during ICU stay. Results One hundred and twenty-three patients were included in this study. CRT was detected in 11 (8.9%) patients, with an incidence of 22.1 per 1 000 catheter-days. All the 11 cases with CRT were presented within 3 days after the insertion, with 9 cases (81.8%) on the first day and 2 cases (18.2%) on the third day. The incidence of CRT in SCCVC group was significantly lower than that in IJCVC group [5.7% (5/88) vs. 17.1% (6/35), P < 0.05], with the rates of 12.6 and 59.4 per 1 000 catheter-days, respectively. There were no statistical significant differences in the incidences of CRT between operation group and non-operation group [11.8% (10/85) vs. 2.6% (1/38)], and between anticoagulation group and non-anticoagulation group [8.0% (1/25) vs. 9.2% (2/98), both P > 0.05]. Conclusions The incidence of CRT at IJCVC site is estimated to be 3-times higher than that at SCCVC site, anticoagulants or surgical operation may have impacts on the incidence of CRT, although there were no statistically significant differences. The CRT usually occurs within 3 days after the catheter insertion. Frequent bedside ultrasonography in the first 3 days after catheterization can confirm the diagnosis and guide clinical treatment.