Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheter Complications in Children Receiving Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT).

OBJECTIVE To identify the frequency of and risk factors associated with complications necessitating removal of the peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in patients receiving outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) and to determine the appropriateness of OPAT in children with OPAT-related complications. METHODS A retrospective cohort of children who had a PICC inserted at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2013, and were discharged from the hospital on OPAT was assembled. RESULTS A total of 1,465 PICCs were used to provide antibiotic therapy for 955 children after hospital discharge. Among these, 117 PICCs (8%) required removal due to a complication (4.6 of 1,000 catheter days). Children discharged to a long-term care facility were at increased risk of adverse PICC events (incidence risk ratio [IRR], 3.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.79-6.17). For children receiving OPAT, age of the child (adjusted IRR [aIRR], 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.98), noncentral PICC tip location (aIRR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.66-4.82), and public insurance (aIRR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.10-2.40) were associated with adverse PICC events. In addition, 34 patients (32%) with adverse events may not have required intravenous antibiotics at the time of hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS Of children discharged with PICCs on OPAT during the study period, 8% developed a complication necessitating PICC removal. Children discharged to a long-term care facility had an increased rate of complication compared with children who were discharged home. With improved education regarding appropriate duration of antibiotic therapy and situations in which early conversion to enteral therapy should be considered, PICC-related complications may have been avoided in 32% of children. Infect.

Risk factors for peripherally inserted central venous catheter complications in children.

IMPORTANCE: Peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) are prone to infectious, thrombotic, and mechanical complications. These complications are associated with morbidity, so data are needed to inform quality improvement efforts. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the epidemiology of and to identify risk factors for complications necessitating removal of PICCs in children. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Hospitalized children who had a PICC inserted outside of the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2009. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Complications necessitating PICC removal as recorded by the PICC Team. RESULTS: During the study period, 2574 PICCs were placed in 1807 children. Complications necessitating catheter removal occurred in 534 PICCs (20.8%) during 46 021 catheter-days (11.6 complications per 1000 catheter-days). These included accidental dislodgement (4.6%), infection (4.3%), occlusion (3.7%), local infiltration (3.0%), leakage (1.5%), breakage (1.4%), phlebitis (1.2%), and thrombosis (0.5%). From 2003 to 2009, complications decreased by 15% per year (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.81-0.89). In adjusted analysis, all noncentral PICC tip locations-midline (IRR 4.59, 95% CI, 3.69-5.69), midclavicular (2.15; 1.54-2.98), and other (3.26; 1.72-6.15)-compared with central tip location were associated with an increased risk of complications. Pediatric ICU exposure and age younger than 1 year were independently associated with complications necessitating PICC removal. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Noncentral PICC tip locations, younger age, and pediatric ICU exposure were independent risk factors for complications necessitating PICC removal. Despite reductions in PICC complications, further efforts are needed to prevent PICC-associated complications in children.

Central line-associated bloodstream infection in hospitalized children with peripherally inserted central venous catheters: extending risk analyses outside the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) are placed for prolonged intravenous access. Few data exist regarding risk factors for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) complicating PICCs in hospitalized children, especially children hospitalized outside the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We identified all children with a PICC inserted at The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD) from 1 January 2003 through 31 December 2009 and used Poisson regression models to identify risk factors for PICC-associated CLABSIs. RESULTS: A total of 2592 PICCs were placed in 1819 children. One hundred sixteen CLABSIs occurred over 44,972 catheter-days (incidence rate [IR], 2.58 cases per 1000 catheter-days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.07-3.00 cases per 1000 catheter-days). Independent predictors of CLABSI in the entire cohort included PICC dwell time of > 21 days (IR ratio [IRR], 1.53; 95% CI, 1.05-2.26), parenteral nutrition as indication for insertion (IRR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.31-3.84), prior PICC-associated CLABSI (IRR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.18-5.25), underlying metabolic condition (IRR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.14-3.74), and pediatric ICU exposure during hospitalization (IRR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.18-2.75). Risk factors for CLABSI in children without PICU exposure included younger age, underlying malignancy and metabolic conditions, PICCs inserted in the lower extremity, and a prior PICC-associated CLABSI. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged catheter dwell time, pediatric ICU exposure, and administration of parenteral nutrition as the indication for PICC insertion are important predictors of PICC-associated CLABSI in hospitalized children. A careful assessment of these risk factors may be important for future success in preventing CLABSIs in hospitalized children with PICCs.