Hemocompatibility of intravenous catheters: the influence of central or peripheric access.

The contact between the blood and any kind of material can lead to hemocompatibility issues that deserves some consideration. Midst some aspects to consider, special attention must be given to the rheology and the blood flow. Therefore, the speed blood influence in relation to the catheter type (central or peripheric) was studied in this report. It involved 129 patients from two school-hospitals of São Paulo. The access (central or peripheric), different aspects related to the patients, proceeding and the type, nature and catheter origin were considered. One concludes that the blood incompatibility is time proportional, and that only the external surface shows blood compatibility differences, granting the peripheric catheters.