An exploration of the possible causes of occlusion problems in skin-tunnelled catheters used in paediatric oncology

Occlusion in children's skin-tunnelled catheters throughout the course of treatment for malignant disease can lead to increased physical and psychological stress. A two-phase study at a paediatric oncology centre aimed to identify the factors associated with occlusion in children's skin-tunnelled catheters.

The statistical findings show that occlusion problems were significantly more likely to occur in two groups of patients: those receiving dexamethasone as part of their treatment protocol, and children whose parents did not flush the line at home. In addition, the survey indicated that occlusion in skin-tunnelled catheters is a far more frequent problem than had been previously recognised. Further work is needed both to verify which factors are important and to guide future care of children with these catheters.