How Common Are Central Line Complications?

Central venous access devices (CVADs or “central lines”) that are used often in hospitalized patients include peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs), nontunneled CVADs, and tunneled CVADS. Researchers in Australia performed a secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized trial (NEJM JW Gen Med Jun 1 2021 and Lancet 2021; 397:1447) to determine the incidences of all-cause CVAD failure and specific complications (central line–associated bloodstream infections, catheter occlusion, dislodgement, fracture, thrombosis, and pain).

Almost 1900 CVADs (43% nontunneled CVADs, 40% PICCs, 17% tunneled CVADs) in adult patients were included in the analysis. Overall, the failure rate was 10%, and more than half of failures were central line–assoc…