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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Jan 1;182(1):50-58.
doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6844.

Safety and Outcomes of Midline Catheters vs Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters for Patients With Short-term Indications: A Multicenter Study

Lakshmi Swaminathan  1 , Scott Flanders  2   3 , Jennifer Horowitz  2   3 , Qisu Zhang  2   3 , Megan O'Malley  2   3 , Vineet Chopra  2   3   4
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Safety and Outcomes of Midline Catheters vs Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters for Patients With Short-term Indications: A Multicenter Study

Lakshmi Swaminathan et al. JAMA Intern Med. .

Abstract

Importance: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and midlines are frequently used for short-term venous access; whether one is safer than the other in this setting has not been adequately reported.

Objective: To compare outcomes between patients who had a PICC vs midline placed for the indication of difficult vascular access or antibiotic therapy for 30 or fewer days.

Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study analyzed data from a multihospital registry including patients admitted to a participating site from December 2017 through January 2020 who had a PICC or midline placement for the indications of difficult venous access or intravenous antibiotic therapy prescribed for 30 or fewer days. Data were analyzed from October 2020 to March 2021.

Exposures: PICC and midline placement.

Main outcomes and measures: Major complications, including a composite of symptomatic catheter-associated deep vein thrombosis (DVT), catheter-related bloodstream infection, and catheter occlusion. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression models (taking into account catheter dwell) were used to estimate risk for major complications, adjusting for patient and device characteristics and the clustered nature of the data. Sensitivity analyses limiting analyses to 10 days of device dwell were performed.

Results: Data on 10 863 patients, 5758 with PICCs and 5105 with midlines (median [IQR] age of device recipients, 64.8 [53.4-75.4] years; 5741 [52.8%] were female), were included. After adjusting for patient characteristics, comorbidities, catheter lumens, and dwell time in logit models, patients who received PICCs had a greater risk of developing a major complication compared with those who received midlines (odds ratio, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.61-2.47). Reduction in complications stemmed from lower rates of occlusion (2.1% vs 7.0%; P < .001) and bloodstream infection (0.4% vs 1.6%; P < .001) in midlines vs PICCs; no significant difference in the risk of DVT between PICCs and midlines was observed. In time-to-event models, similar outcomes for bloodstream infection and catheter occlusion were noted; however, the risk of DVT events was lower in patients who received PICCs vs midlines (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.38-0.74). Results were robust to sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study among patients with placement of midline catheters vs PICCs for short-term indications, midlines were associated with a lower risk of bloodstream infection and occlusion compared with PICCs. Whether DVT risk is similar or greater with midlines compared with PICCs for short-term use is unclear. Randomized clinical trials comparing these devices for this indication are needed.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Flanders reported receiving grants to institution from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) during the conduct of the study. Dr O’Malley reported receiving grants from BCBSM and Blue Care Network as part of the BCBSM Value Partnerships program during the conduct of the study. Dr Chopra reported receiving grants from Blue Cross Blue Shield/Blue Care Network (the work of the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium is supported by BCBSM) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (1-R18-HS025891) during the conduct of the study. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Sample Selection
IV indicates intravenous; MC, midline catheter; PICC, peripherally inserted central catheter.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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