Clinically manifest thromboembolic complications of femoral vein catheterization for continuous renal replacement therapy ★

PurposeThe safety of femoral vein (FV) catheterization for continuous renal replacement therapy is uncertain. We sought to determine the incidence of clinically manifest venous thromboembolism (VTE) in such patients.MethodsWe retrospectively studied patients with femoral high flow catheters (≥ 13F) (December 2005 to February 2011). Discharge diagnostic codes were independently screened for VTE. The incidence of VTE was also independently similarly assessed in a control cohort of patients ventilated for more than 2 days (January 2011 to December 2011) in the same intensive care unit (ICU).ResultsWe studied 380 patients. Their mean age was 61 years, and 59% were male. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score was 84; average duration of continuous renal replacement therapy was 74 hours, and 232 patients (61%) survived to hospital discharge with an average length of hospital stay of 22 days. Only 5 patients (1.3%) had clinically manifest VTE after FV catheterization. In the control cohort of 514 ICU patients, the incidence of VTE was 4.4% (P < .05 compared with FV group).ConclusionThe incidence of clinically manifest VTE after FV catheterization with high flow catheters is low and lower to that seen in general ICU patients.