Central Venous Lines in Children With Lesser Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Optimal Type and Timing of Placement

In pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the optimal time for central venous line (CVL) insertion and the optimal type of CVL (internal v external) is unclear. This study was undertaken to compare complication rates between early versus late line insertion, and between internal versus external lines in children with lesser risk ALL. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients enrolled onto Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) protocol 9201. Data regarding demographics, CVL types and insertion dates, blood counts, and complications were reviewed through week 25 of therapy. Of 697 patients enrolled onto POG protocol 9201, 362 patients had sufficient data for analysis. When compared to late line placement (> day 15 of induction), early CVL placement (