Experience with Central Venous Catheters in Patients with AIDS

To the Editor: A number of reports have described the complications of central venous catheters, the majority of which are infections. The patient populations have been primarily those with malignant conditions, and the risk of infection has been related to the presence of multiple lumens, the use of guide wires, and the administration of parenteral nutrition.^{1 2 3 4 5 6} We are not aware of any data on the use and risk of complications of central venous catheters in patients with AIDS. We have therefore reviewed our experience with central venous catheters in this population. Data were available from the time of the insertion…