Complications of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (picc) in Neonates

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) is an intravenous device whose distal end is located in the vena cava, becoming a central venous catheter; despite its benefits, can aggregate risk to the neonates. Aimed to characterize and analyze the PICC complications in neonates. An exploratory, descriptive, documentary and retrospective research with a quantitative approach; ethical principles met. The research place was the Service of Medical and Statistics Archive in a university hospital of Curitiba. The sample consisted of all PICC inserted from July to December 2009 in neonates hospitalized in the NICU; data collection occurred on records, between July and August 2010. There were totalized 45 PICC, inserted in 36 neonates. The complications that led to the device withdrawal were: traction (20,4%), extravasation (18,1%), edema and death (9% each), fracture, hyperemia, spontaneous and positive culture (6,8% each), and obstruction (2,2%). It is suggested the elaboration of a clinical guideline for professionals who manipulate the PICC.