Implantable Ports for CT Power Injection Are Safe, Effective

A study in the British Journal of Radiologyfound that totally implantable venous power ports (TIVPPs)—that is, ports that are designed for high-pressure injections—are associated with a low rate of implantation-related complications and are safe for contrast injection during arterial phase CT exams. Because of these advantages, the authors state that TIVPPs should be preferred for this use over totally implantable venous access ports (TIVAPs)—devices similar to TIVPPs but not approved for high-pressure injections.

The authors retrospectively studied 204 cancer patients who had TIVPPs implanted either in the forearm (152 patients) or in the chest (52 patients) between November 2009 and May 2011. TIVPP placement was successful in all patients, and no complications related to the TIVPP implantation procedure were observed. Catheter-related thrombosis occurred in 15 of 152 forearm ports (9.9%) and in 1 of 52 chest ports (1.9%). Infectious complications were diagnosed in 9 of 152 forearm ports (5.9%) and in 2 of 52 chest ports (3.8%). When used with a contrast injector to enhance CT studies, automatic arterial bolus triggering succeeded in all attempts, and arterial phase aortic enhancement was adequate. The mean injection...