Influence of guide wire removal on tip location in peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs): a retrospective cross-sectional study

Objectives The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) malposition and the influence of guide wire removal on tip location in PICCs and determine whether related factors, including age, sex, side of insertion and brand of catheter, influence the PICC tip location. Setting Single-centre research institute in China recruiting patients from the hospital. Participants A total of 837 adult patients with inserted PICCs were recruited from October 2016 to May 2017. Interventions This was a cross-sectional study aiming to identify the prevalence of PICC malposition and the influence of guide wire removal on tip location in PICCs. A linear regression model and a variance of factorial design analysis were performed. The PICC tip location was documented on a postinsertion chest X-ray. Multivariable analyses were performed based on the following related factors: age, sex, side of insertion and brand of catheter. Results The tip location moved a mean of 17.4 mm among the 837 included patients. The prevalence of PICC malposition was 83.6% (700/837), while 16.4% (137/837) of PICCs remained in correct location. The mean movement caused by guide wire removal without an adjusted tail end was (-1.95 +/- 26.90) mm. The difference between tail end adjustment movement and actual tip position movement in each PICC was (33.0 +/- 17.1) mm in type C, which was significantly higher than the findings for type A (12.8 +/- 13.3) mm and type B (12.9 +/- 12.7) mm. Conclusions PICC malposition is a frequent event. Different catheter brands were associated with different ranges of movement in tip location after guide wire removal. The age and sex of the patients and the insertion side did not influence the extent of movement.