Volume 66 Number 5&6 October/November 1999	back to contents

Hickman-Broviac Catheter-Related Infections in Children with Malignancies	320-326
Sotiris C. Stamou, M.D., Helen C. Maltezou, M.D., Apostolos Pourtsidis, M.D., Theodora Psaltopoulou, M.D., Constantine Skondras, M.D., and Theodore Aivazoglou, M.D.
Address correspondence to Sotiris C. Stamou, M.D., 2950 Van Ness Street NW, Washington, DC 20008.

ABSTRACT
Infectious complications are frequently encountered following Hickman-Broviac (H-B) catheter insertion. The medical records of 164 children with malignancies who underwent H-B catheter insertion from March 1, 1988 to December 31, 1997 were reviewed retrospectively. During a 35,697 catheter-day period, 77 catheter-related infections occurred, including 50 catheter-insertion-site infections and 27 bloodstream infections. The risk for the development of catheter-related infections was 2.15 per 1000 catheter-days (1.4 and 0.75 per 1000 catheter-days for catheter-insertion-site and bloodstream infections, respectively). In 17 (63%) of 27 episodes of bloodstream infections, antimicrobial treatment controlled the infection without catheter removal. A previous catheter-insertion-site infection caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis (p=0.01), the occurrence of mechanical catheter complications (p=0.007), and a normal coagulation status of the host (p=0.03) were significantly associated with the development of catheter-related bloodstream infections. H-B catheters remain important in pediatric oncology. Due to the significant morbidity associated with the development of catheter-related bloodstream infections, risk factors found to increase the incidence rate of such infections must be identified and properly managed.

KEY WORDS
Hickman-Broviac catheters, bloodstream infections, children, malignancies

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