Experience of an Intravenous Therapy Team at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia (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.

Surveillance of Candida spp Bloodstream Infections: Epidemiological Trends and Risk Factors of Death in Two Mexican Tertiary Care Hospitals

“…Therefore, high rates of C. parapsilosis recovery could indicate careless CVC handling in many settings [10], [15], [20], [21]. The low prevalence of C. parapsilosis among the populations included in this study confirms the strict policy of CVC care, as seen in previous reports from both participant institutions [22], [23].…”

Evaluation of febrile neutropenic attacks in a tertiary care medical center in Turkey

“…As it is obviously seen, there are significant differences in the epidemilogical profiles among the areas in our country. Recent studies from other developing countries also report different results [16,17].…”

“…Recent studies from our country reported that the mortality rate among febrile neutropenic patients was 11.6% [16,21].…”

Prevalencia de infecciones nosocomiales en niños: encuesta de 21 hospitales en México

“…Una intervención que ha resultado eficaz en este sentido ha sido la creación de equipos de terapia intravenosa notificados por Volkow. 20 Posiblemente otra intervención para reducir la frecuencia de bacteriemias es la creación de centros de mezclas en hospitales, lo cual garantizaría que toda la terapia intravenosa se preparara bajo estrictas condiciones de esterilidad. Por otro lado, el uso de asistencia ventilatoria como factor de riesgo para neumonía nosocomial obliga a garantizar la esterilidad del equipo de inhaloterapia, las bolsas de ventilación y la correcta aspiración de secreciones en pacientes con intubación endotraqueal, de tal manera que se eviten estas complicaciones infecciosas.…”