Abstract:
Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are commonly used in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in neurosurgical intensive care units. A frequent complication of this procedure is upper-extremity venous thrombosis (UEVT), which can lead to adverse outcomes.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) in reducing the incidence of UEVT in patients with TBI undergoing PICC placement.
Methods: Patients with TBI admitted to our neurosurgical intensive care unit between 2021 and 2023 were included in the study. All patients underwent PICC placement and were randomly assigned to a control or intervention group. The intervention group received IPC on the upper limb. Doppler ultrasound was used to detect venous thrombosis and measure blood flow in the upper extremity. Differences in blood flow velocities between the groups at specified time points were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.
Results: The intervention group showed significantly lower rates of UEVT (4.1% vs. 18.6%, P = 0.001), deep vein thrombosis (1.0% vs. 8.2%, P = 0.018), and superficial vein thrombosis (3.1% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.042) than the control group. Venous flow velocities on days 14 and 28 after catheterisation were significantly higher in the intervention group (all P < 0.001), while no significant differences were observed on days 0 and 7.
Conclusion: IPC can reduce the incidence of UEVT and improve blood flow in the catheterised upper extremity in patients with TBI after PICC placement.
Reference: Liang H, Wang X, Zhou X, Wang J, Pei C, Liu L. Intermittent pneumatic compression can reduce the incidence of upper extremity venous thrombosis after peripherally inserted central catheter placement in traumatic brain injury patients: A randomised controlled trial. Aust Crit Care. 2025 Aug 14;38(6):101308. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2025.101308. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40815929.