Clinical feasibility and effectiveness of bedside peripherally inserted central catheter using portable digital radiography for patients in an intensive care unit: A single-center experience

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility and effectiveness of bedside peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) using portable digital radiography (DR) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Sixty-five ICU patients who underwent PICC were enrolled in this study between May 2016 and May 2017. Of these 65 patients, 45 (69.2%) underwent the procedures bedside in ICU using portable DR, and 20 (30.8%) underwent the procedures at the intervention clinic, both performed by a single interventional radiologist. We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records for clinical presentation, total procedural time, total radiation dose, total patient transfer time, and clinical outcomes. We performed an independent t test to compare the clinical effectiveness between the 2 groups. The technical and clinical success rates were 100% in both groups, and there were no procedure-related complications. The total radiation dose of bedside PICC at ICU was significantly lower than that of conventional PICC at the intervention clinic (557.9 mGy∗cm(2) ± 209.2 vs 985.2 mGy∗cm(2) ± 547.6, P < .001). The total procedure time was significantly different between the bedside and conventional PICC groups (26.8 minutes ± 3.9 vs 24.1 minutes ± 5.55, P = .028). The average patient transfer time to the intervention clinic was 26.6 minutes ± 9.8. Bedside PICC using portable DR is a safe and effective procedure option to manage ICU patients in daily clinical practice.