Acta paediatrica
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The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of clinically symptomatic central venous catheter (CVC)-related deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in newborns and small infants and to try to identify clinical and genetic risk factors for catheter-related DVT among children with thrombotic complications. CVC was inserted in 44 consecutive infants (age range 0-90 d) during the period January 1990 to December 1995 in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Kuopio University Hospital in Kuopio. The symptoms of DVT were: syndrome of superior vena cava in 2, swelling at the CVC puncture site in 6 and repeated CVC obstructions in 2. ⋯ We detected no deficiencies in protein S, protein C or antithrombin III. One child was heterozygous for the point mutation (R506Q) in the factor V gene known to cause activated protein C resistance (APCR). We conclude that newborns with CVC are at great risk of DVT and that the aetiology of DVT can rarely be identified via measurements of coagulation inhibitors.