Prevention of Occlusion of cEnTral lInes for Children with cancer: the POETIC project
Investigators:Dr Amanda Ullman, Rachel Edwards, Tricia Kleidon, Paula Condon, Victoria Gibson, Prof Fiona Newall, Prof Claire Rickard, Prof Marie Cooke

Central lines are flexible tubes inserted in the chest, neck, upper or lower limb veins and ending in a large vein near the heart. Children with cancer require reliable central lines to enable the administration of anti-cancer (e.g., chemotherapy) and supportive therapies (e.g., antibiotics, blood products, and fluids). However one in three central lines used for children with cancer stop working, often because they are blocked.

Evidence-based practices are available to prevent and treat central line blockages or occlusions, however they are not consistently applied. This project will implement known, effective central line occlusion prevention and treatment strategies. It will then evaluate a new occlusion prevention strategy a regular, stop-start flush of saline through the central line. Together these projects will optimise central line performance, allowing children with cancer to receive the treatment they need, when they need it.