Safety of peripherally inserted central catheters during pregnancy: a retrospective study

Purpose: We investigated the incidence of complications associated with peripherally inserted central line catheters, inserted using a standardized technique, during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Materials and methods: A retrospective case series was performed that included all pregnant and postpartum women who received peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) at a single institution between 2006 and 2014. Patient demographics and data on infectious, mechanical and thrombotic complications were collected. Some patients required more than one line insertion during the same pregnancy. In these instances, only the first line placement for each subject was included in the analysis of complications. Results: One hundred and forty-six catheters were inserted in 112 pregnant and postpartum patients. The total incidence of complications was 17% (19/112). Specific complications included infection (n = 4, 3.6%), mechanical (n = 5, 4.4%), deep venous thrombosis (n = 2, 1.8%) and other (n = 8, 7.1%). Demographics of the complication and no complication groups were similar. Conclusions: In contrast with previous studies, we report a complication rate associated with peripheral line use in pregnant and postpartum women that appears similar to that in non-pregnant populations.