In medicine, a central venous catheter (CVC or central venous line) is a catheter placed into a large vein in the neck, chest or groin, this is inserted by a physician when the patient needs more intensive cardiovascular monitoring, for assessment of fluid status, and for increased viability of intravenous drugs/fluids. The most commonly used veins are the internal jugular vein, the subclavian vein and the femoral vein. This is in contrast to a peripheral line which is usually placed in the arms or hands. The Seldinger technique is generally employed to gain central venous access.

Description

Dependent on its use, the catheter is monoluminal, biluminal or triluminal, dependent on the actual number of tubes or lumens (1, 2 and 3 respectively,). Some catheters have 4 or 5 lumens, depending on the reason for their use.

The catheter is usually held in place by a suture or staple and an occlusive dressing. Regular flushing with saline or a heparin-containing solution keeps the line patent and prevents infection.

Indications and uses

Indications for the use of central lines include:

Monitoring of the central venous pressure (CVP) in acutely ill patients to quantify fluid balance; Parenteral nutrition; Drugs that are prone to cause phlebitis in peripheral veins (caustic), such as:

Calcium chloride; Chemotherapy; Potassium chloride; Amiodarone;

; Need for intravenous therapy when peripheral venous access is impossible

Blood; Medication; Rehydration;

;

Central venous catheters usually remain in place for a longer period of time, especially when the reason for their use is longstanding (such as total parenteral nutrition in a chronically ill patient). For such indications, a Hickman line, a PICC line or a portacath may be considered because of their smaller infection risk. Sterile technique is highly important here, as a line may serve as a porte d'entrÃ©e (place of entry) for pathogenic organisms, and the line itself may become infected with organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococci.

Complications

Potential complications include:

Pneumothorax

Pneumothorax (for central lines placed in the chest) - this is why doctors routinely order a chest X-ray (CXR) after insertion of a subclavian or internal jugular line. The incidence is thought to be higher with subclavian vein catheterization. In catheterization of the internal jugular vein, the risk of pneumothorax can be minimized by the use of ultrasound guidance. For experienced clinicians, the incidence of pneumothorax is about 1%.