Klin Onkol 2012; 25(5): 375-381. DOI: 10.14735/amko2012375.
Summary
Long-term access devices (VAD) in oncology patients are the elemental procedure of contemporary treatment. Apart from their indisputable benefit they are linked with an increased risk of infectious complications, ranging between simple colonisation of a device to catheter related bloodstream infections. The decision to salvage or extract the VAD in case of bloodstream infection depends on patient´s clinical state, localisation of infection (site of insertion, catheter or pocket), casual agent and complications (e.g. endocarditis, septic embolization, osteomyelitis and so on). Authors present 5 case reports of portacath sepsis in their oncology department in 2011 (i.e. 4.46% of 112 inserted ports). In the second part of the article they review current literature data about prevention and treatment of infectious complications of vascular devices in cancer patients.
