# Inversion of Central Venous Ports in Children Under Six Years Old: A Retrospective Analysis of 154 Oncology Patients

## TL;DR

This study found that central venous ports are more likely to invert in children under two years old compared to older children.

## Contribution

The study provides new data on central venous port inversion rates and risk factors in young pediatric oncology patients.

## Key findings

- The CVP inversion rate was 4.6%, with a significantly higher rate in children under two years old (11.2%).
- Technical success rate was 99.4%, and infectious complications occurred in 10.5% of patients.

## Abstract

Background

Although some reports have evaluated the safety and efficacy of central venous port (CVP) placement in pediatric patients, the data about the inversion rate of the device and its risk factors are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the inversion rates of CVPs and their associated risk factors in pediatric patients.

Methodology

Between January 2010 and December 2021, 154 consecutive children (75 boys; median age, 28.5 months; range, 2-71 months) who underwent CVP placement at our center were included in this study. The primary outcome was the CVP inversion rate, and the secondary outcomes included technical success rate, intraoperative complications, and infectious complications. Intraoperative complications were evaluated according to the Society of Interventional Radiology guidelines. Patients under two years old were classified as the younger group and those aged ≥two years as the older group.

Results

The CVP inversion rate was 4.6% (n = 7/153), equivalent to 0.08 × 1,000 catheter-days. The inversion rate was significantly higher in the younger group (under two years old, 11.2%) than in the older group (≥two years old, 1.0%) according to the univariate analysis (p = 0.00576). The technical success rate was 99.4% (n = 153/154), and mild adverse events were observed during the procedure in three (1.9%) patients. Infectious complications were observed in 16 (10.5%) patients, equivalent to 0.19 × 1,000 catheter-days.

Conclusions

The CVP inversion rate was significantly higher in younger children (under two years old) than in older children (≥two years old).