Central venous access

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. C114-C119
Author(s):  
Joel Lockwood ◽  
Neel Desai

Central venous catheterization is the placement of a catheter in such a manner that its tip is positioned within the proximal third of the superior vena cava, the right atrium or the inferior vena cava. It is indicated when access for administration of drugs or extracorporeal blood circuits and haemodynamic monitoring or interventions is needed. When inserting a central venous catheter, appropriate preparation and asepsis, positioning of the patient, and the use of ultrasound should be considered. Compared to the landmark method of localization, ultrasound can account for anatomical variations, facilitate visualization of venous puncture, and safeguard against inadvertent arterial puncture. In the Seldinger technique, which is the primary mode of central venous catheterization, a needle is passed towards the chosen vessel. Once the needle is in the vein, a guidewire is introduced through the needle into the vessel and the needle is removed. Following a small skin incision at the base of the guidewire, a dilator is advanced over the guidewire and then taken out. Subsequent to this, the central venous catheter is railroaded over the guidewire into the vein and the guidewire is withdrawn. Complications of central venous catheterization can be mechanical, infectious or thrombotic.

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-131
Author(s):  
Vasileios Zochios ◽  
Michael Gilhooly ◽  
Simon Fenner

Purpose The subclavian vein is thought to be the most appropriate route for central venous access in major maxillofacial surgery. Evidence suggests that left-sided central venous catheters should lie below the carina and be angulated at less than 40° to superior vena cava wall. This reduces perforation risk. With this in mind we audited our current practice for placement of central venous catheters for major maxillofacial surgery. The criteria against which we compared our practice were: 1) all catheter tips should lie below the carina and 2) the angle of the distal 1 cm of the catheter should be no more than 40° to the superior vena cava wall. Methods Left subclavian central venous catheters placed on a weekly operating list between September 2005 and August 2008 were identified retrospectively: 83 patients were identified; 22 were excluded. The angle of the central venous catheter tip and distance from the carina were measured on the first post-procedure chest-X ray. All central venous catheters used were 16 cm long. Results 82% of the catheter tips were located above the carina while 61% were angulated at greater than 40°; 11% of central venous catheters met both standards; 14% of central venous catheters placed by a consultant and 12% of catheters placed by a trainee met both standards. Conclusions 89% of the central venous catheters were not correctly placed. The majority of central venous catheter tips above the carina were at an adverse angle to the superior vena cava wall. We suggest that for left subclavian central lines, 20 cm catheters be used.


1994 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Rutherford ◽  
A. F. Merry ◽  
C. J. Occleshaw

Central venous catheter (CVC) depth relative to the cephalic limit of the pericardial reflection (CLPR) was assessed retrospectively in 100 adult patients from chest radiographs taken after admission to the intensive care unit. A well known landmark proved to be considerably influenced by parallax; therefore we located the CLPR by a new landmark, the junction of the azygos vein and the superior vena cava, identified by the angle of the right main bronchus and the trachea. The majority (58) of CVC tips lay below the pericardial reflection on the first chest radiograph (CXR). Of these only two had been corrected by the time of the next routine CXR. No case of cardiac tamponade secondary to erosion by a CVC could be remembered, or identified from records of routine departmental audit meetings, for the last ten years. Nevertheless, reported incidents of this complication have often been fatal and vigilance is necessary in any patient with a CVC.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e041101
Author(s):  
Minwoo Kang ◽  
Jinkun Bae ◽  
Sujin Moon ◽  
Tae Nyoung Chung

ObjectivesThe tip-to-carina (TC) distance on a simple chest X-ray (CXR) has proven value in the determination of correct central venous catheter (CVC) positioning. However, previous studies have mostly focused on preventing the atrial insertion of the CVC tip, and not on appropriate positioning for accurate haemodynamic monitoring. We aimed to assess whether the TC distance could detect the passage of the CVC tip into the superior vena cava (SVC) and the right atrium (RA), and to accordingly suggest cut-off reference values for these two aspects.DesignRetrospective observational cohort study.SettingSingle urban tertiary level academic hospital.Participants479 patients who underwent CXR and chest CT scan after the insertion of a CVC with a 24-hour interval during the study period.InterventionThe TC distance was measured on CXR, and the position of the CVC tip was assessed on the chest CT images. The TC distance was described as a negative or positive number if the CVC tip was above or below the carina, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristics curve analyses were conducted to ascertain the TC distance to detect SVC entrance and RA insertion of CVC tip.ResultsThe TC distance could significantly detect both SVC entrance and RA insertion (p<0.001 for both; area under curve 0.987 and 0.965, respectively), with a reference range of −6.69 to 15.61 mm.ConclusionThe TC distance in CXR is a simple and precise method to confirm not only the safe placement of the CVC tip but also its optimal positioning for accurate haemodynamic monitoring.


Author(s):  
Sandeep Arunothayaraj ◽  
Kristoffer Tanseco ◽  
Anna-Lucia Koerling ◽  
Andrew Hill ◽  
Jonathon Hyde ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Caruselli ◽  
Gianmarco Piattellini ◽  
Gianfranco Camilletti ◽  
Roberto Giretti ◽  
Raffaella Pagni

A persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a congenital anomaly of the systemic venous system. This anomaly is often discovered as an incidental result during central venous catheterization passing through the left subclavian or the left internal jugular vein. We report two cases of PLSVC in pediatric patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 528-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Folkert Steinhagen ◽  
Maximilian Kanthak ◽  
Guido Kukuk ◽  
Christian Bode ◽  
Andreas Hoeft ◽  
...  

Introduction: A significant increase of the p-wave of a real-time intracavitary electrocardiography is a reliable and safe method to confirm the central venous catheter tip position close to the atrium. However, conflicting data about the feasibility of electrocardiography exist in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: An observational prospective case–control cohort study was set up to study the feasibility and accuracy of the electrocardiography-controlled central venous catheter tip placement in 13 patients with atrial fibrillation versus 10 patients with sinus rhythm scheduled for elective surgery. Each intervention was crosschecked with ultrasound-guided positioning via right supraclavicular fossa view and chest radiography. Ultrasound-guided supraclavicular venipuncture of the right subclavian vein and guidewire advancement were performed. A B-mode view of the superior vena cava and the right pulmonary artery was obtained to visualize the J-tip of the guidewire. The central venous catheter was advanced over the guidewire and the electrocardiography was derived from the J-tip of the guidewire protruding from the central venous catheter tip. Electrocardiography was read for increased p- and atrial fibrillation waves, respectively, and insertion depth was compared with the ultrasound method. Results: Electrocardiography indicated significantly increasing fibrillation and p-waves, respectively, in all patients and ultrasound-guided central venous catheter positioning confirmed a tip position within the lower third of the superior vena cava. Conclusion: Electrocardiography-guided central venous catheter tip positioning is a feasible real-time method for patients with atrial fibrillation. Combined with ultrasound, the electrocardiography-controlled central venous catheter placement may eliminate the need for postinterventional radiation exposure.


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