Characteristics of a Cohort of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters and Factors Associated With Complications

Aims: To characterize a cohort of peripherally inserted central catheters, to measure complication rates, and to analyze complication-associated factors. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: All hospitalized patients, at a large public hospital in Santiago, Chile, with an indication of a PICC line, were enrolled over a period of 17 months, from 2022 to 2024 (n = 1397). Catheters were installed and followed by a nurse-led vascular access team. For each catheter, data were collected at insertion and at removal. Main variables: catheter-days and complications (occlusion, deep vein thrombosis, and bloodstream infection). Analyses included Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression models. Results: 1310 catheters completed follow-up. For every 1000 catheter-days, the occlusion, bloodstream infection, and thrombosis rates were 6.7, 1.7, and 0.2, respectively. Dwell times were significantly higher for catheters with any kind of complications compared to catheters without complications (25.6 days vs. 20.0 days, p = 0.0001). The same holds for catheters with occlusions (25.2 days vs. 20.3 days, p = 0.002). Difficult vascular access was significantly associated with total complications, occlusions, and bloodstream infections (HR: 1.86, 1.85, and 2.55, respectively, p < 0.01). Total parenteral nutrition catheters had significantly fewer total complications and occlusions (HR: 0.29 and 0.31, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The implementation of a nurse-led vascular access team in Chile for the management of peripherally inserted central catheters has achieved similar patient outcomes to those in other countries. Occlusion is the most common complication. Dwell times and the condition of difficult vascular access are associated with complications. Patients with parenteral nutrition have the lowest rates of occlusions.