Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters-associated blood stream infections—occurrence, risk factors, and pathogens, a single center study

Background Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are central venous catheters inserted peripherally but terminate in great vessels. PICCs are widely used for patients requiring long-term intravenous therapy in both in-patient and out-patient settings. Aim This study was carried out to understand PICC-related complications, specifically infections and causal pathogens, in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, South India. Methods A retrospective analysis of PICC insertions and follow-up during a 9 years period to look at patient demographics and infections related to PICC was carried out. Results The overall PICC-related complication rate is 28.1% (4.98 per 1000 PICC days). Commonest complication was thrombosis followed by infection, either PICC-associated bloodstream infection (PABSI) or local infection (LI). PABSI noted in this study was 1.34 per 1000 catheter days. The majority (85%) of PABSI were due to Gram-negative rods. The average duration of PICC days for occurrence of PABSI was 14 days and the majority occurred in in-patients. Conclusion Thrombosis and infection were the commonest PICC-related complications. PABSI rate was comparable to that of previous studies.