Vesicant extravasation can occur even in patients whose nurses have years of experience. Nurse-physician collaboration is key to appropriate management.

BACKGROUND Implanted ports are frequently used for patients with cancer who require IV chemotherapy. In addition to verbal communication with healthcare providers, patients with cancer may benefit from written information. OBJECTIVES This pre/post study evaluated the effectiveness of an informational booklet by improving knowledge about ports and assessed the history, need, and preferences fo...

A central venous catheter tip located too high into the superior vena cava (SVC) is known to be a strong risk factor for central venous thrombosis and subsequent SVC syndrome. We report herein the usefulness of catheterizing the implanted port catheter lumen as a salvage procedure to circumvent a complete SVC occlusion in a breast cancer patient. Because the standard central vein catheterizatio...

The intravenous port-A catheters are widely used for long-term central venous access in cancer patients. Spontaneous fracture and migration of implanted port catheters is a known complication and necessitates immediate removal. Percutaneous retrieval of intravascular foreign body has become a common practice and is commonly performed through central venous access, mostly using femoral, subclavi...

We describe our experience using an implantable Port-A-Cath access system for intrapleural administration of gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) in malignant mesothelioma patients. Twenty nine patients, with histologically proven malignant mesotheliomas were included in this study. To avoid complications the device was implanted in a subcutaneous pocket, and the catheter was connected via a tunnel. Al...

METHODS From 1 July 1995 to 31 June 2006 we implanted 3498 intravenous port systems. In nearly all cases the indication was vascular access for chemotherapy. RESULTS We registered 199 complications (5.7%), mostly infections (n=85 i.e. 2.4%) and thromboses (n=63 i.e. 1.8%). CONCLUSIONS Permanent central venous catheters have become standard in the management of patients with malignancies. Be...

A subcutaneous infusion port was implanted in a 34-year-old patient with frequent and severe asthma attacks to ensure prompt and reliable venous access. Difficulties with peripheral venous access were possible cofactors necessitating mechanical ventilation on two occasions before this implantation. The method described is simple and seems useful for asthmatics in need of frequent parenteral med...

Acidovorax avenae is a gram-negative rod in the family Comamonadaceae and a phytopathogen found in the environment. Human infections caused by members of the Comamonadaceae are extremely rare. We report a case of implanted-port-catheter-related sepsis caused by Acidovorax avenae and methicillin (meticillin)-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).

INTRODUCTION Central venous catheters play an important role in the management of cancer patients. Different types of devices are associated with different patterns of complications. We report on the pattern of use and rate of complications of port-a-caths in patients diagnosed with malignant cancer at a single institution. METHODOLOGY The data were collected retrospectively from patients who...

BACKGROUND The current study aims to compare the application and convenience of the upper arm port with the other two methods of implanted ports in the jugular vein and the subclavian vein in patients with gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS Currently, the standard of practice is placement of central venous access via an internal jugular vein approach. Perioperative time, postoperative complica...