Experience of an intravenous therapy team at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (Mexico) with a long-lasting, low-cost silastic venous catheter.

Abstract

Means of vascular access are fundamental in the management of cancer. However, since current intravenous devices for long-term treatment are expensive and necessitate a high degree of education among medical personnel, in developing countries they are impractical for use in most of the population. We describe the use of a nontunneled, low-cost, long-lasting Silastic catheter (LLSC), cared for by an intravenous therapy team (IVTT), in 462 patients with cancer. The rate of infectious complications was 0.66 infections per 1,000 catheter-days, which is as low as that reported in association with other catheters in developed countries. Neutropenia and skin and/or soft-tissue infections were significant risk factors associated with LLSC-related infections. We believe that use of this catheter may be an alternative for patients with cancer who need chemotherapy, as long as an IVTT is established for its care. Our experience could be useful for practitioners in countries with similar socioeconomic characteristics.