Mobility therapy and central or peripheral catheter-related adverse events in an ICU in Brazil.

Objective: To determine whether mobility therapy is associated with central or peripheral catheter-related adverse events in critically ill patients in an ICU in Brazil.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the daily medical records of patients admitted to the Clinical Emergency ICU of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas Central Institute between December of 2009 and April of 2011. In addition to the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, we collected data related to central venous catheters (CVCs), hemodialysis (HD) catheters and indwelling arterial catheters (IACs): insertion site; number of catheter days; and types of adverse events. We also characterized the mobility therapy provided.

Results: Among the 275 patients evaluated, CVCs were used in 49%, HD catheters were used in 26%, and IACs were used in 29%. A total of 1,268 mobility therapy sessions were provided to patients while they had a catheter in place. Catheter-related adverse events occurred in 20 patients (a total of 22 adverse events): 32%, infection; 32%, obstruction; and 32%, accidental dislodgement. We found that mobility therapy was not significantly associated with any catheter-related adverse event, regardless of the type of catheter employed: CVC-OR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.7-1.0; p = 0.14; HD catheter-OR = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.89-1.21; p = 0.56; or IAC-OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 0.94-3.23; p = 0.07.

Conclusions: In critically ill patients, mobility therapy is not associated with the incidence of adverse events involving CVCs, HD catheters, or IACs.