Central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections are challenging hospital-acquired infections that occur in an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 patients annually in the United States, (1) have a 10%–30% mortality rate, and
If you practice inpatient medicine and insert central venous catheters, you have likely heard the term central line bundle but were not sure what the bundle was exactly. A bundle
Once you have finished inserting a central venous catheter, it’s time to document your hard work. Clear documentation of the procedure, techniques used, and potential challenges related to central line
The most nerve-racking step of central line placement for the inexperienced practitioner is accessing the vein. My preferred way to safely access the vein for central line placement is to
The Optimal Depth to Insert a Central Venous Catheter Don’t make it harder than it should be. There are two key points to keep in mind for patient safety regarding
By convention, peripheral IV catheters are sized in gauge, and central venous catheters (CVCs) are sized in French. This table compares French sizing to gauges for catheters with flow rates.
The exsanguinating patient, it’s a problem we don’t want to experience and can be found all over healthcare. It can be the ED trauma patient, the OB with a placenta
The choice of central line insertion location has an outsized impact on a number of quality metrics related to central line safety. Outside of the surgical specialties, the use of
Rapid Central Vein Assessment (RaCeVA) is a systematic, standardized approach for ultrasound assessment before central venous catheterization. Ultrasound use for central line placement not only provides superior procedural advantages but
I wasn’t familiar with the term “double-stick” when I went through my anesthesia residency. Although we did the typical “big cases” and trauma, we did not routinely place two central
This is the place to start if you want to know what type of central venous catheter your patient needs. The first step of central venous catheter placement is confirming
If you have ever tried to place an IV or use an angiocatheter to access the vein for a central line, you familiar with the experience of a “dry thread.”
Central line placement is as standardized of a procedure as you can find in healthcare. No matter the city or hospital, the steps are exactly the same without much debate
Central venous catheterization is a vital medical procedure, widely used in various healthcare settings. While it plays a crucial role in patient care, it also carries inherent risks, including arterial
For almost all medical students and interns, the first procedure you will perform that can legitimately cause harm or death to a patient is a central line placement. As a
