A proposal for the classification of early complications during percutaneous central venous access: previous note

Abstract

Abstract Central venous access is a common hospital procedure that plays an essential role in many clinical situations. Despite its widespread use, there is no standardized classification for early complications, which limits systematic analysis and development of health indicators. This study aimed to propose an objective and applicable classification for early complications of central venous access, encompassing events related to puncture and catheter positioning. This was a longitudinal observational study conducted at the Universidade Federal do Piauí teaching hospital (HU-UFPI) from October 2024 to April 2025, enrolling patients undergoing central venous access placement by the Clinical Surgery Unit team. Clinical and procedural variables were assessed, including ultrasound guidance, puncture site, catheter positioning, and post-procedure complications. The proposed classification groups complications into five categories: I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, and IIIB. In the sample (n = 35), 85.7% of observed complications were classified as category I, 11.4% as IIA, and 2,9% as IIB, with no major complications observed. The proposed classification appears to be potentially useful for standardizing the description of early complications, although the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size, absence of major complications, and single-center design.