Risk factors associated with peripherally inserted central catheter-related venous thrombosis in hospitalized patients of advanced age

Objective: This study was performed to determine the risk factors associated with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related venous thrombosis in patients of advanced age (> 65 years). Methods: In total, 549 hospitalized patients aged 66 to 104 years who were undergoing PICC placement from January 2008 to December 2014 were enrolled. Symptomatic venous thrombosis was confirmed by B-mode or Doppler ultrasonography in the presence of clinical signs. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the variables of interest to identify the risk factors for thrombosis. Odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were generated. Results: Of the 549 patients with PICC placement, 106 (19.3%) developed PICC-associated venous thrombosis, 84 cases of which were symptomatic. The logistic regression results revealed that PICC-related venous thrombosis was associated with a history of venous thrombosis (OR, 6.745 [3.237-14.056]), number of lumens (OR, 1.934 [1.362-2.572] and OR, 3.762 [1.672-5.932] for dual and triple lumens, respectively), and PICC gauge (OR, 1.821 [1.256-2.537] and OR, 3.864 [1.367-8.251] for 5-Fr and 6-Fr, respectively). Conclusions: A history of thrombosis, high number of lumens, and large-gauge catheters were strong risk factors for patients aged >65 years undergoing PICC placement.