Evaluation of the Successful Insertion Rate of PICC among the Puncture Sites at the Cubital Fossa for Terminally-ill Cancer Patients at the Bedside

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to compare the difference in successful insertion rates of peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) between the different insertion sites at the cubital fossa (basilic, medial cubital and cephalic vein) for terminally-ill cancer patients at the bedside. Methods: Data from eighty-eight terminally-ill cancer inpatients who underwent insertion of PICC from September 2011 to April 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Successful PICC insertion was defined when the catheter tips were placed in the superior vena cava. Results: PICC insertion was successfully carried out in 72/88 patients (81.8%) in total; 43/50 patients (86.0%) via basilic vein, 23/31 patients (74.2%) via medial cubital vein, and 6/7 patients (85.7%) via cephalic vein. There was no significant statistical difference between the three different approaches in the success rate of PICC insertion (P=0.39). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the cephalic vein serves as an alternative puncture site of PICC insertion at the cubital fossa for terminally-ill cancer patients under unavoidable clinical circumstances.