Surgery, gynecology & obstetrics
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Surg Gynecol Obstet · Aug 1988
Comparative StudyComparison of totally implanted reservoirs with external catheters as venous access devices in pediatric oncologic patients.
Long term venous access devices have become an important part of the standard care for children with malignant diseases requiring chemotherapy. A prospective nonrandomized study was conducted between January 1985 and January 1987 examining complications, child and parental acceptance and costs between totally implantable venous access devices (ports) and externally exiting catheters. Fifty ports were placed in 49 patients who had a median age of ten years; median implant time was 350 days. ⋯ There were 15 infectious complications with catheters compared with seven with ports (p less than 0.01). Child and parental acceptance questionnaires indicated that the ports were easier to care for and more readily accepted in children older than 11 years than were catheters (p less than 0.001). Totally implanted reservoirs are effective alternatives to external catheters for venous access in children with cancer.