2025 Volume 61 Issue 2 Pages 414-418
Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheters（PICC）are widely used in various pediatric settings, including neonatal care. However, catheter replacement is necessary when occlusion occurs. Catheter occlusion can be caused by mechanical factors, such as catheter kinking or damage, as well as intraluminal obstruction due to blood components or drug-derived deposits.
It is generally difficult to determine the cause of catheter occlusion, and in clinical practice, the exact cause is rarely identified. In this study, we analyzed the tip of an occluded PICC using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, which revealed that the occlusion was caused by sodium and chloride deposits. We report this case because the cause of occlusion was not the commonly reported blood cell components or calcium phosphate, and because the composition of the occlusive material was identified relatively easily using this analytical method.
