Impact of limb ischemic preconditioning on the incidence of vein thrombosis in patients with peripherally inserted central catheter

Background Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) are increasingly used in clinical practice, which also leads to an increased incidence of PICC-related thrombosis. Local thrombus formation could be prevented by limb ischemic preconditioning (IPC). This study aimed to determine whether IPC can prevent deep vein thrombosis in patients with PICC.Methods A total of 600 breast cancer patients receiving PICC were randomized into two groups between July 2016 and July 2018 at the Department of Radiation Oncology. In the preconditioning group, 5 min of ischemic preconditioning was performed three times before PICC, whereas no preconditioning was performed in the sham group. The coagulation function levels, the PICC-related complications, the length of hospital stay, the cost of hospitalization, and the satisfaction of patients were compared.Results The coagulation function levels of patients in the preconditioning group were more normal than in patients from the sham group. In total, 56/300 patients in the sham group had presence of PICC-related thrombosis, with only 23/300 in the IPC group, with no significant difference in other complications between the two groups. However, a longer hospital stay was observed in the sham group compared to the IPC group. Moreover, the cost of hospitalization was also reduced in the IPC group, which also improved the satisfaction of patients.Conclusion Limb ischemic preconditioning may attenuate the severity of vein thrombosis in patients with PICC, which contributes to reducing the incidence of PICC-related thrombosis in clinical practice.