Hickman catheter-induced thoracic vein thrombosis. Frequency and long-term sequelae in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy and marrow transplantation.

One hundred sixty-eight bone marrow transplant recipients and 49 patients who received high-dose chemotherapy were evaluated for symptomatic thrombosis after Hickman catheter placement. The timing of thrombotic complications was different between these two groups, with the transplant group having a significantly lower thrombus-free survival by 28 days after catheter placement. By 100 days after placement the thrombus-free survival rates of the two groups were similar. The platelet count at time of catheter placement was significantly lower in the nontransplant group, and the thrombus-free survival was longer in patients whose catheter was placed when their platelet count was less than 150,000, suggesting that thrombocytopenia delays thrombotic complications. Placement of two Hickman catheters resulted in a 12.9% thrombosis rate (21 of 162 patients) and was significantly more likely to be associated with thrombosis than placement of one catheter. Long-term follow-up evaluation of patients treated without successful fibrinolytic therapy showed no residual symptoms of venous obstruction. In those patients presenting with concomitant catheter obstruction resulting from thrombosis, low-dose fibrinolytic therapy was successful in restoring catheter function 70% of the time. Placement of two Hickman catheters is associated with an inordinate incidence of thrombosis. Thrombocytopenia at the time of catheter placement may delay this complication. Thrombotic catheter obstruction can be treated successfully with low-dose fibrinolytic therapy. Even without fibrinolytic therapy, catheter-induced subclavian vein thrombosis rarely causes long-term disability.