Baseline characteristics of the 189 percutaneous central venous lines and the babies
| PCVL characteristics | All lines n=189 | Suspected sepsis n=47 | No sepsis n=142 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at insertion of line, days | 5 (1–66) | 7 (2–61)* | 5 (1–66) |
| Duration of line in situ, days | 12 (1–59) | 12 (5–59) | 11 (1–48) |
| Catheter size, n (%) | |||
| 28 G | 97 (51%) | 33 (70%)** | 64 (45%) |
| 24 G | 92 (49%) | 14 (30%)** | 78 (55%) |
| Site of catheter insertion: n (%) | |||
| Upper limb | 86 (46%) | 17 (36%) | 69 (49%) |
| Lower limb | 93 (49%) | 29 (62%)*** | 64 (45%) |
| Scalp | 10 (5%) | 1 (2%) | 9 (6%) |
| Length of line inserted, cm | 11 (5–26) | 11 (6–25) | 11 (5–26) |
| Reason for line insertion, n (%) | |||
| Parenteral nutrition | 183 (97%) | 45 (96%) | 138 (97%) |
| Antibiotics | 6 (3%) | 2 (4%) | 4 (3%) |
| Baby characteristics | All babies n=143 | Suspected sepsis n=41† | No sepsis n=117† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age, weeks | 28.5 (22.7–40.5) | 26.4 (22.7–40.0)* | 28.8 (23.0–40.5) |
| Birth weight, g | 1045 (400–4500) | 810 (400–4000)* | 1070 (470–4500) |
Values are median (range) unless indicated otherwise.
‘Suspected sepsis’ versus ‘No sepsis’ groups:
* p=0.01,
** p=0.002,
*** p=0.04.
Some babies with multiple line removals had lines removed within both these categories.
PCVL, percutaneous central venous line.