Central Venous Access Device Removal in Cancer Patients

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Background: Central venous catheters are frequently used during cancer treatment with the aim of venepreservation. It can facilitate venous access for the safe administration of irritating or vesicant intravenous cancer medications and / or other fluids, to collect blood samples or to ensure accurate venous access for contrast during medical imaging. In addition, this means more comfort for the patient who needs to be punctured less peripherally. However, central venous catheters can also be a source of bloodstream infections and other complications, leading to increased morbidity and hospital costs (1). In our hospital, there is a general practice that if an infection of the device is suspected, the central venous catheter should be removed if antibiotics do not seem or prove to be effective. The objective of this trial is to assess the frequency of implanted port catheter-removal in cancer patients due to suspected infection of the device in a particular oncology center over a time period of seven years. Furthermore, evidence for real device infections (per/post-surgery) and the potential contribution of different (institution-specific) risk factors on device infection will be explored. There will be focused on implanted port catheters only, as this is the main used central venous access device within the oncological population. Trial objectives: The primary aim of this retrospective descriptive trial is to evaluate the frequency of implanted port catheter-removal in cancer patients due to suspected infection of the device, over a time period of seven years. The secondary aim is to examine whether the device infection could be confirmed during or after removal of the device. At last, the tertiary aim is to verify whether certain variables can be denoted as potential risk factors for central venous access infection. Selection of those variables of interest will be based on a thorough review of the literature and discussion with the responsible healthcare professionals.

Official Title
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Frequency of Central Venous Port Catheter Removal Due to Suspected Infection in Patients Diagnosed With Cancer at a Single Institution: A Retrospective Study.

Conditions
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Oncology, Haematological Malignancy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Removal of a central venous access device


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Central venous access device removal in our general hospital Cancer patient Exclusion Criteria: -
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Procedure: Removal of a central venous access device|We are interested in those patients for which a central venous access device was removed.|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Suspected infection rate | How many central venous access devices are removed due to a suspected infection of the device in cancer patients. | 2012-2017 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Approved infection rate | For how many of the central venous access devices that were removed due to suspected infection of the device could an infection be confirmed? | 2012-2017 | 
| Risk factors for central venous access device infections in cancer patients | Is it possible to denote certain variables as potential risk factors for central venous access device infection? | 2012-2017 | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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PAC infections, oncology