Table 4.
Comparison of port-a-cath complications of over two time periods in patients with solid tumours at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman from January 2007 to April 2019
| Variable | n (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time period one* (January 2007 to February 2013) n = 117 |
Time period two (March 2013 to April 2019) n = 399 |
|
| Mean time port-a-cath in place for all patients in days (range) | 354 (3–1,876) | 495 (7–32,216) |
| Mean time port-a-cath in place for patients with complication(s) in days (range) | 252 (3–1,876) | 285 (8–1,148) |
| Reason for removal | ||
| Complication† | 30 (25.6%) | 45 (11.2%) |
| Infection | 19 (16.2%) | 33 (8.2%) |
| Infection + blocked | 2 (1.7%) | 2 (0.5) |
| Blocked | 4 (3.4%) | 4 (1.0%) |
| Skin rupture | 4 (3.4%) | 3 (0.75%) |
| Vessel thrombosis | 0 (0%) | 3 (0.8%) |
| Catheter migration | 0 (0%) | 1(0.3%) |
| Haematoma | 0 (0%) | 1(0.3%) |
| Catheter leak | 1 (0.9%) | 0 (0%) |
*
Some data previously reported in: D’Souza PC, Kumar S, Kakaria A, Al-Sukaiti R, Zahid KF, Furrukh M, et al. Use of port-a-cath in cancer patients: A single-center experience.10
†
Patients could have more than one complication.