The Current Practice of Management of Asymptomatic Central Venous Catheters Associated Venous Thromboembolism in Children: A Result of Saudi Arabian Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Society Survey

Introduction:Central venous catheters (CVCs) are the main cause of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically ill children. The optimal first-line treatment for children with asymptomatic CVC-related VTE is unknown. Due to a paucity of clinical trials, clinical practice guidelines can offer only weak recommendations for the management of asymptomatic CVC- related VTE. This case-based survey was designed to assess current trends in local management strategies for pediatric patients with an asymptomatic CVC- related thrombosis. The survey focused on the use of the thrombophilia testing, management approach, duration of anticoagulation, and the use of secondary prophylaxis. We hypothesize that there will be significant variation in these four management areas, in large part due to the aforementioned paucity of available data.

Method:After Institutional Review Board approval, REDCap® questions were sent to members of the Saudi Arabian Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Society (SAPHOS) clinical forum/email database. We used a hypothetical case to assess management strategies for asymptomatic CVC-related VTE and secondary prophylaxis.

Result:Seventy-one (30%) physicians responded to the survey. The majority of the respondents (83.3%) did not use thrombophilia testing. 95% treated with anticoagulation, of which 20% treated only if clot propagation was identified on follow-up and 3.3% treated only if a thrombophilia was identified. In contrast, the survey respondents varied widely in the duration of anticoagulation (19% for 6 weeks, 41.4% for 12 weeks, 29.3% until CVC removal). Secondary prophylaxis was used by 20% of the respondents, whereas 21.4% did so, only if there was a previously identified thrombophilia.

Conclusion:Asymptomatic CVC-related VTE is a common clinical entity with limited data guiding management. In Saudi Arabia there remains considerable variability in clinical management; particularly, in the duration of treatment and use of secondary prophylaxis. These findings will help identify crucial knowledge gaps in the management of asymptomatic CVC-related VTE and facilitate clinical trials that will help establish evidence-based treatment guidelines.