• Marcelo Spector, Hamid Mojibian, Donna Eliseo, Jeffrey S Pollak, Eric Reiner, Melih Arici, and Michael G Tal.
• Interventional Radiology Section, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Ave, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
• J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2008 Oct 1; 19 (10): 1434-8.

PurposeTo report the authors' clinical experience with the Tal Palindrome chronic dialysis catheter with a symmetric tip.Materials And MethodsDuring a 39-month period, 126 Palindrome catheters were placed consecutively in 85 patients. Follow-up was available for 115 catheters. Insertion complications, patency, catheter-related bacteremia, exit site infections, and reasons for catheter removal were recorded. The patient's initial cause of end-stage renal disease, underlying diseases, and site of access were recorded as well.ResultsPatient ranged in age from 35 to 91 years (median, 69 years). Fifty percent of patients had diabetes. One hundred twenty-six Palindrome catheters were placed for a total of 12,046 catheter-days. The technical success rate of catheter placement was 100%. The average catheter indwell time was 105 days (range, 1-673 days). Catheters were inserted via the right (n = 107) or left (n = 19) jugular vein in all patients without insertional complication. Catheter-related infections occurred in 16 of the 115 catheters (13.9%) during the study period and culture-proved bacteremia occurred in four (3.5%). Seven exit site infections were recorded, and 10 catheters (8.7%) developed fibrin sheaths that necessitated catheter exchanges.ConclusionsClinical experience with the Tal Palindrome hemodialysis catheter demonstrated safe and reliable use with low infection rates.

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