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

Purpose: The 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. Methods: We 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). Results: We 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). Conclusion: The incidence of clinically manifest VTE after FV catheterization with high flow catheters is low and lower to that seen in general ICU patients