Port Pocket Infections: Hydrogel Reduces Time to Healing and Clinic Visits Compared with Iodoform Gauze

Abstract

Pocket infections are an occasional complication of totally implanted central venous catheters. The purpose of this study was to compare the safety, efficacy, and efficiency of the use of hydrogel after port removal vs the conventional method of packed iodoform gauze. In a cohort of 31 patients, the hydrogel group (n = 13) healed significantly faster than the group treated with the conventional method (15.5 vs 26.8 d; P = .009) and required fewer scheduled clinic visits (1.2 vs 10.8; P < .001). There were no differences in complications. This study suggests that hydrogel effectively promotes healing of port pocket infections, with advantages over the established technique.