Long-term central venous catheter use and risk of infection in older adults with cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Long-term central venous catheters (CVCs) are often used in patients with cancer to facilitate venous access to administer intravenous fluids and chemotherapy. CVCs can also be a source of bloodstream infections, although this risk is not well understood. We examined the impact of long-term CVC use on infection risk, independent of other risk factors such as chemotherapy, in a population-based cohort of patients with cancer.

Patients and methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis using SEER-Medicare data for patients age > 65 years diagnosed from 2005 to 2007 with invasive colorectal, head and neck, lung, or pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or invasive or noninvasive breast cancer. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the relationship be

SUBMITTER: Lipitz-Snyderman A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4105488 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature