Broviac central venous catheters were placed in twenty patients who
required long-term intravenous antibiotics for the treatment of
osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, or an infected total joint arthroplasty.
As a group, the twenty patients completed a total of 1,131 days with the
catheter in place. There was only one catheter-related complication:
extrusion of the Dacron cuff after removal of the catheter. Six
antibiotic-related complications occurred, all of which resolved when the
antibiotic was changed. No patient had sepsis related to use of the
catheter, breakage of the catheter, or thrombosis. Twelve patients had part
of their antibiotic treatment on an outpatient basis.