Application of Autar scale in risk assessment of upper extremity venous thrombosis related to periph-erally inserted central catheter in patients with lung cancer

Objective To evaluate the application of Autar scale in the assessment of the risk of thrombosis related to peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in patients with lung cancer. Methods 1 252 cases of lung cancer with PICC between January 2008 and December 2012 in Shanghai Chest Hospital were enrolled as the control group, who received routine PICC insertion and maintenance. 1 322 cases of lung cancer patients with PICC catheterization between January 2013 to May 2016 in the same hospital were recruited as the observation group, who were divided into low-risk, middle-risk and high-risk groups based on the scores of Autar scale, and given grading nursing intervention accordingly. Results In the control group, PICC-related thrombosis occurred in 38 cases (3.04%). In the observation group, PICC-related thrombosis occurred in 12 cases (0.91%), the incidence in the low-risk, middle-risk, and high-risk groups was 1.25% (5 cases), 1.04% (5 cases), and 0.45% (2 cases), respectively. The incidence of thrombosis is lower in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions Autar scale may help anticipate the risk of PICC-related upper extremity venous thrombosis in patients with lung cancer. Preventive nursing and treatment measures in lung cancer patients at high risk may effectively reduce the incidence of PICC catheter-related thrombosis. Key words: Autar scale; Risk assessment; Thrombosis; Peripherally inserted central catheter