The risk of venous thromboembolism associated with midline catheters compared with peripherally inserted central catheters: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Four included studies were rated poor, three were fair, and three were only meeting abstracts. Nine of the 12 studies were from the United States, so the findings may not apply to other settings. Few children were included; only one study focused on children and reported no significant difference between midline catheters and PICCs. The adult subgroup result became non-significant when Bahl et al. was removed, and the other subgroup result became non-significant when Moureau et al. was removed. The authors note that publication bias may mean some relevant research was not retrieved, and only published literature was included.

The authors declared no financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence their work. The supplied text lists non-U.S. government research support but does not name a funder.

Do not conclude that midline catheters cause more venous thromboembolism than PICCs. The review pooled mostly observational studies, and the adult subgroup result became non-significant when a study was removed.