A New Securement Method for External Tunneled Central Venous Access Devices (CVAD)

An external tunneled central venous access device (CVAD) is a small plastic tube that is tunneled under the skin into a major vein for long-term use (Figure 1). Patients who require a tunneled CVAD are some of the sickest patients we encounter and include oncology, hematology, and gastrointestinal (intestinal failure) patients. These patients are heavily reliant on their tunneled CVAD, which can be a lifeline for long-term administration of chemotherapeutics, IV medications, blood product transfusions, antibiotics, enteral nutrition, blood draws and fluids. Unfortunately, nearly 30% of pediatric external tunneled CVADs fail prior to the completion of treatment. External tunneled CVAD failures lead to unnecessary morbidity and mortality, interruption of medical therapy, and the added costs and risks associated with additional procedural complications. It is hypothesized that a newly designed securement method for external tunneled central venous access devices (CVAD) will reduce catheter-related complications and increase patient, parent and provider satisfaction, compared to the current standard of care, which is a clear transparent film dressing over the catheter exit site. A 20 patient, prospective clinical trial is proposed to address the following specific aims, which will determine if the securement device:

1. Is rated by patients, parents and providers as easy to apply and comfortable for users
2. Reduces CVAD-related complications, such as delayed healing of the tract, catheter-related infections, and episodes of catheter dislodgement
3. Improves the quality of life for patients and their parents
4. Is preferred over the standard, clear transparent dressing alone
5. Requires any design modifications to improve performance and/or comfort of the device

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Central Venous Catheter Related Bloodstream Infection; Central Venous Catheter Exit Site Infection
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Central venous access device (CVAD) Snuggie Securement Device

Detailed Description

A prospective pilot trial to examine the feasibility for a new CVAD securement device prototype (see appendix for computer-aided design drawings). Eligible patients will be identified by either mid-level providers, consulting services, or attending surgeons. Researchers will obtain consent from the patient or their parent/legal guardian. Caregivers will be educated on how to apply the securement device and will be given a number to call should they have any questions or concerns. Once the patient is enrolled and provided with the device, the investigators will perform follow up telephone interviews at one and three weeks to evaluate their experience and ensure they did not experience any adverse events.

The investigators will prospectively record the primary and secondary outcomes regarding use of the securement device, including: comfort, quality of materials, adhesive, ease of use, skin problems, infections, dislodgement episodes, catheter breakage, types and numbers of interactions with healthcare providers (phone calls, emergency department and clinic visits), perceived safety, and overall impressions.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jenny Stevens, MD; Phone Number: 2515899950; Email: jenny.stevens@childrenscolorado.org
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Marina Reppucci, MD; Phone Number: 2037314914; Email: marina.reppucci@childrenscolorado.org

Study Locations

• United States
  • Colorado
    • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 54008
      • Recruiting
      • Children's Hospital Colorado
      • Contact: Marina Reppucci, MD; Phone Number: 203-731-4914

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 1 month to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged 31 days to 18 years old, who will undergo surgical placement of a tunneled CVAD
• Any patient with a pre-existing CVAD, who presents to the surgery clinic, emergency department, or is seen as an inpatient consult relating to complications associated with their CVAD
• Patients admitted to the hospital with a pre-existing CVAD for reasons unrelated to the CVAD will be eligible for the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any assenting child or consenting parent/guardian can at any time refuse to participate in the study and will be removed
• Any patient whose parents or legal guardians cannot be reached in person or by telephone to provide consent
• Any prisoners, pregnant women, or person with impaired decision-making capacity

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CVAD securement device; Patients with a pre-existing CVAD who will trial the new securement dressing	Device: Central venous access device (CVAD) Snuggie Securement Device; Participants will be given a prototype of a CVAD securement device for a three week trial. Descriptive data relating to user satisfaction will be collected at 1 and 3 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Comfort	Survey question asking for qualitative description of satisfaction	3 weeks
quality of materials	Survey question asking for qualitative description of satisfaction	3 weeks
Quality of Adhesive	Survey question asking for qualitative description of satisfaction	3 weeks
Ease of use	Survey question asking for qualitative description of satisfaction	3 weeks
Skin irritation	Survey question asking for qualitative description of complication, if applicable	3 weeks
Infection	Survey question asking for qualitative description of complication, if applicable	3 weeks
dislodgement	Survey question asking for qualitative description of complication, if applicable	3 weeks
catheter breakage	Survey question asking for qualitative description of complication, if applicable	3 weeks
types and numbers of interactions with healthcare providers	Survey question asking for qualitative description of interaction, if applicable	3 weeks
Perceived safety	Survey question asking for qualitative description of perceived device safety	3 weeks
overall impression	Survey question asking for qualitative description of overall impression of device	3 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver
• Collaborators: Children's Hospital Colorado
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Steven L Moulton, MD, Children's Hospital Colorado

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Ullman AJ, Marsh N, Mihala G, Cooke M, Rickard CM. Complications of Central Venous Access Devices: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics. 2015 Nov;136(5):e1331-44. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-1507. Epub 2015 Oct 12.
• Chambers ST, Sanders J, Patton WN, Ganly P, Birch M, Crump JA, Spearing RL. Reduction of exit-site infections of tunnelled intravascular catheters among neutropenic patients by sustained-release chlorhexidine dressings: results from a prospective randomized controlled trial. J Hosp Infect. 2005 Sep;61(1):53-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2005.01.023.
• Shivnan JC, McGuire D, Freedman S, Sharkazy E, Bosserman G, Larson E, Grouleff P. A comparison of transparent adherent and dry sterile gauze dressings for long-term central catheters in patients undergoing bone marrow transplant. Oncol Nurs Forum. 1991 Nov-Dec;18(8):1349-56.
• Ullman AJ, Cooke M, Rickard C. Examining the role of securement and dressing products to prevent central venous access device failure: a narrative review J Assoc Vasc Access 2015; 20:99-110
• Frey AM, Schears GJ. Why are we stuck on tape and suture? A review of catheter securement devices. J Infus Nurs. 2006 Jan-Feb;29(1):34-8. doi: 10.1097/00129804-200601000-00007.
• Orgel E, Ji L, Pastor W, Schore RJ. Infectious morbidity by catheter type in neutropenic children with cancer. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2014 Mar;33(3):263-6. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000000060.
• Brandt B, DePalma J, Irwin M, Shogan J, Lucke JF. Comparison of central venous catheter dressings in bone marrow transplant recipients. Oncol Nurs Forum. 1996 Jun;23(5):829-36.
• Ruschulte H, Franke M, Gastmeier P, Zenz S, Mahr KH, Buchholz S, Hertenstein B, Hecker H, Piepenbrock S. Prevention of central venous catheter related infections with chlorhexidine gluconate impregnated wound dressings: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Hematol. 2009 Mar;88(3):267-72. doi: 10.1007/s00277-008-0568-7. Epub 2008 Aug 5.
• Ullman AJ, Kleidon T, Gibson V, McBride CA, Mihala G, Cooke M, Rickard CM. Innovative dressing and securement of tunneled central venous access devices in pediatrics: a pilot randomized controlled trial. BMC Cancer. 2017 Aug 30;17(1):595. doi: 10.1186/s12885-017-3606-9.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 19, 2020
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 24, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 7, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): July 8, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 15, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 13, 2023
• Last Verified: June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: central venous access device, CVAD
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome; Inflammation; Disease Attributes; Sepsis; Infections; Communicable Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20-1592

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: There is no plan to make individual participant data available to other researchers

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No