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Experience with the portacath
Author(s) -
Lambert Mark E.,
Chadwick Gill A.,
McMahon Ann,
Scarffe J. Howard
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
hematological oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1099-1069
pISSN - 0278-0232
DOI - 10.1002/hon.2900060109
Subject(s) - medicine , disease , surgery , pediatrics , emergency medicine , intensive care medicine
Fifty Portacaths have been inserted in patients undergoing prolonged outpatient chemotherapy, most for haematological disease. Twenty‐one are still working at a median duration of 12 months (range 1‐27) and a further 15 were functioning normally at the time of the patients death (median survival 6 months). Four functioning Portacaths have been removed, three suspected of causing septicaemia and one believed erroneously to have occluded. Ten have ceased to function and nine of these have been removed. The causes of these failures are nearly all avoidable and are discussed in detail; many occurred early in our experience. With careful attention to detail and with management by trained and interested staff, the Portacath is a safe and reliable device for intermittent vascular access.