{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nPatients in medical intensive care units (MICUs) often require prolonged intravenous therapy, making optimal catheter selection critical. While central venous catheters (CVCs) remain common, peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are increasingly used. This single-centre retrospective study compared indwelling time, clinical utility, and complication profiles between PICCs and CVCs in MICU patients.Methods\n\nWe analyzed 276 MICU patients with either a PICC or CVC, comparing catheter selection, length of stay, dwell time, and complication rates. Complication rates were also standardized per 1000 catheter-days.Results\n\nPICCs were used more frequently in patients with malignancy (P < 0.001) or requiring chemotherapy (P < 0.001), whereas CVCs were preferred in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P = 0.012), diabetes (P = 0.012), COVID-19 (P = 0.020), or vasopressor infusion (P = 0.001). PICCs were associated with longer indwelling times (≥12 days, P < 0.001). In the unstandardized analysis, PICCs had higher rates of catheter dislodgement (P < 0.001) and occlusion (P = 0.005), but lower rates of puncture-site complications (bleeding, hypersensitivity, fluid leakage; all P < 0.05) and deep vein thrombosis incidence (P = 0.038). After standardization per 1,000 catheter-days, dislodgement remained significantly more frequent with PICCs, whereas the difference in occlusion was no longer statistically significant. No bloodstream infections occurred with PICCs, versus 5.4% with CVCs (P = 0.169). Because groups differed substantially in patient selection, clinical indication, dwell time, insertion site, and securement method, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of superiority.Conclusion\n\nPICCs were associated with longer indwelling times and a higher rate of dislodgement, but lower rates of puncture-site complications and deep vein thrombosis; the difference in occlusion was no longer significant after standardization. Vascular access selection should be individualized according to patient characteristics, therapy requirements, anticipated duration, and device-related risks.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China.",
    "Nursing Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China.",
    "Department of Intensive Care Unit, Qingdao Municipal Hospital Group, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, People's Republic of China.",
    "Teaching and Research Section of Clinical Nursing, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China.",
    "Department of Nephrology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Guo Long"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Chao Jia"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Huan Peng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Yuanming Li"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/36y0q57025cs4.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.2147/ijgm.s653773",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13724055",
  "id": "36y0q57025cs4",
  "issns": [
    "1178-7074"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968810",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3604|Central Venous Catheters and Hemodialysis"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224118179",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13724055?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13724055",
  "pmid": "42968810",
  "published": "2026-10-28",
  "publisher": "Dove Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/36y0q57025cs4.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T15:20:53Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42968810",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968810"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T12:22:35Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13724055",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.2147/ijgm.s653773"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:F27",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Comparison of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters versus Central Venous Catheters in a Medical Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.",
  "title_text": "Comparison of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters versus Central Venous Catheters in a Medical Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-05T12:20:46Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/36y0q57025cs4",
  "venue": "International journal of general medicine",
  "versions": []
}