Our cardiology unit is introducing this technology, which requires placement of a midline length 16F catheter with tip engineered specifically for the ultrafiltration process (they would like our IV team to place). I have a lot of questions, and am asking that their clinical specialist visit our IV team.
Anyone out there have experience placing these catheters? Know about thrombi related to them?  Other complications (other than you can't use the catheter for any other therapy the patient needs, so needs other vascular access)?
If we go ahead with this, it most likely will also impact our staffing, though they say they'll only be able to have at most 2 patients receiving this therapy at a time.
Thanks,
MariÂ
16 fr???? That is huge. What are the complication rates that are documented? I would think there would be many complications with thrombus occurring with that large a catheter placed.
What does the manufacturer of this type of catheter have for evidence of complication?
We don't have anything larger than 6 fr that we are placing. Chris, I need to rer-read the last JAVA to see info about this large of a catheter.
Gwen Irwin
Austin, Texas
Thanks for the JAVA tip, Chris. I'll print it out for our staff.
I asked the RN rep for the company for those stats re: complications with size and placement of an extended length catheter in locations that would very likely be suboptimal, to say the least - she couldn't answer.
The JAVA article posts a figure from CHF Solution, Inc. from the "UNLOAD" study:
http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?NewsEntityId=12278
http://www.masonwells.com/venture/documents/CHFaquapheresistherapypresentedatHeartSocietymeeting-9-25-06_004.pdf
200 patients in 20 sites showed, among other adverse effects:
Ultrafiltration Standard Care
Catheter/needle 3 0
Infection
cath. related 1 0
other 4 9
Bleeding 1 7
I'd also love to hear from folks who have placed these lines/used this system (and I'll probably be contacting Michael Drafz in San Diego).
Mari Cordes, BS RN
Mari Cordes, BS RNIII VA-BC
Vascular Access Department
University of Vermont Medical Center