Central venous catheters in acute blood malignancies.

A one-year prospective study to evaluate the use of central venous catheters in intensive treatment of patients with acute blood malignancies was performed. Forty-seven catheters in 29 patients were studied. In spite of thrombocytopenia in several patients, no severe bleeding episodes were observed. Five patients with agranulocytosis had episodes of bacterial growth in the blood. Four patients had a clinical infection in the subcutaneous tunnel of the catheter. Bacterial growths on the tips of the catheters were found in three cases. Six patients died during the observation period, none of these was in remission. One of these patients had a growth of coagulase negative staphylococci in the blood, and another on the tip of the catheter, without any other known source of infection. The use of central venous catheters facilitates patient care and minimizes discomfort. It is associated with acceptable complications, necessitating meticulous insertion techniques, and careful daily care on the ward or at home.