Experience of Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheter in Patients with Hematologic Diseases

Objective Although use of the peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) has become increasingly common, there are few reports of PICCs used for patients with hematologic diseases. In this study, we analyzed the safety of PICC placement in patients with hematologic diseases where PICCs had been placed to perform blood collection, blood transfusion, drug administration, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Methods This study included 142 PICCs placed in 95 patients managed at our department from November 2013 to December 2015. The PICCs used were the Groshong® Catheter (NXT single-lumen; BARD Inc.). Results A total of 95 patients underwent the placement of 142 PICCs. The mean patient age was 65.5 years. The total duration of catheterization was 8,089 days, with a mean duration of 57.0 days. Chemotherapy was administered through 107 catheters. Stem cells were injected through 12 catheters. Although a fever was observed in association with 103 catheters, it was generally controlled by antimicrobial therapy. There were 18 catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) cases, an incidence equivalent to 2.1 cases per 1,000 catheter-days. Conclusion The present study demonstrated a low CRBSI incidence rate and found no evidence of serious complications with PICC placement. PICCs can be used for blood collection, blood transfusion, drug administration, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation without problems. Thus, PICC placement appears to be a safe procedure for patients with hematologic diseases. Safe catheters are therefore urgently needed for these patients. We expect that PICCs will be widely adopted in Japan in the near future.