Venous thrombosis during total parenteral nutrition with central venous catheters--role of nutritive solutions

Contrast venograms were performed after removal of the catheter in 17 cases with isolated fever during a study of 187 patients treated by total parenteral nutrition with silicone central venous catheters. Thrombosis of the superior vena cava or of one of its collaterals was present in 7 cases and comparison with the 10 cases who had normal venograms showed a significant difference in the composition of the nutritive solutions infused. Patients with thrombosis received more hypertonic solutions with higher concentrations of glucose and nitrogen in their daily infusions.