Prevalence of idle peripherally inserted central catheters in adult patients: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Background: Increasing studies concern about idle vascular access devices, but still scant data on idle peripherally inserted central catheters. We aimed to assess the prevalence and risks of idle peripherally inserted central catheters in adult patients. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional observational study was performed between April 2018 and July 2018. Patient demographics and peripherally inserted central catheters-related information were abstracted using a site questionnaire by directly inquiring and medical records reviewing right after their peripherally inserted central catheters were removed. Results: Three hundred and fifty-eight patients with peripherally inserted central catheter episodes who met the inclusion criteria were studied. Of the 58,000 total catheter-days recorded, 5311 (9.2%) were considered as idle based on our study criteria. Two hundred and fifty-five (71.2%) patients had at least 1 idle catheter-day with a mean duration of 14.84 (19.31) idle days. The incidence of catheter-related complications in patients with idle peripherally inserted central catheters was lower than that in patients without idle peripherally inserted central catheters, though the difference did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio = 0.635, 95% confidence interval = 0.367-1.099, p = 0.103). Conclusion: In conclusion, idle peripherally inserted central catheters were common in adult patients, but the low risks of catheter-related complications may justify maintaining a peripherally inserted central catheter for further observation when necessary.