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The use of ultrasound (US) has been proposed to reduce the number of complications and to increase the safety and quality of central venous catheter (CVC) placement. In this review, we describe the rationale for the use of US during CVC placement, the basic principles of this technique, and the current evidence and existing guidelines for its use. In addition, we recommend a structured approach for US-guided central venous access for clinical practice. Static and real-time US can be used to visualize the anatomy and patency of the target vein in a short-axis and a long-axis view. US-guided needle advancement can be performed in an \"out-of-plane\" and an \"in-plane\" technique. There is clear evidence that US offers gains in safety and quality during CVC placement in the internal jugular vein. For the subclavian and femoral veins, US offers small gains in safety and quality. Based on the available evidence from clinical studies, several guidelines from medical societies strongly recommend the use of US for CVC placement in the internal jugular vein. Data from survey studies show that there is still a gap between the existing evidence and guidelines and the use of US in clinical practice. For clinical practice, we recommend a six-step systematic approach for US-guided central venous access that includes assessing the target vein (anatomy and vessel localization, vessel patency), using real-time US guidance for puncture of the vein, and confirming the correct needle, wire, and catheter position in the vein. To achieve the best skill level for CVC placement the knowledge from anatomic landmark techniques and the knowledge from US-guided CVC placement need to be combined and integrated.

Purpose To provide clinicians with an evidence-based overview of all topics related to ultrasound vascular access. Methods An international evidence-based consensus provided definitions and recommendations. Medical literature on ultrasound vascular access was reviewed from January 1985 to October 2010. The GRADE and the GRADE-RAND methods were utilised to develop recommendations. Results The recommendations following the conference suggest the advantage of 2D vascular screening prior to cannulation and that real-time ultrasound needle guidance with an in-plane/long-axis technique optimises the probability of needle placement. Ultrasound guidance can be used not only for central venous cannulation but also in peripheral and arterial cannulation. Ultrasound can be used in order to check for immediate and life-threatening complications as well as the catheter’s tip position. Educational courses and training are required to achieve competence and minimal skills when cannulation is performed with ultrasound guidance. A recommendation to create an ultrasound curriculum on vascular access is proposed. This technique allows the reduction of infectious and mechanical complications. Conclusions These definitions and recommendations based on a critical evidence review and expert consensus are proposed to assist clinicians in ultrasound-guided vascular access and as a reference for future clinical research.

Background Central venous catheterization is the most common invasive procedure in intensive care units but remains burdened by infectious, thrombotic, and mechanical complications. Although real-time ultrasound guidance is now widely adopted, its effect on site-specific differences in overall complication rates has not been established. The 3SITES randomized clinical trial previously demonstrated lower infection and thrombosis rates with subclavian access but higher mechanical complications. However, as only a third of its procedures were ultrasound-guided in this study, these findings may not apply to current practice. The objective of the study was to compare complication rates across these three sites under a counterfactual framework assuming universal ultrasound guidance. Methods This study was an emulated a target trial using the 3SITES dataset. Inverse probability weighting was applied to adjust for confounders of site assignment and ultrasound guidance. Weighted outcomes across catheter sites were compared under a counterfactual framework assuming universal ultrasound guidance. The primary outcome was a composite of time to catheter-related bloodstream infection or symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis. Secondary outcomes included each component separately, asymptomatic thrombosis, and major mechanical complications. Results A total of 3409 catheters were included: 1153 in the femoral, 1267 in the internal jugular, and 989 in the subclavian site. Subclavian site showed a lower incidence of the primary outcome compared with femoral ( P  =  .02 ) and jugular ( P  =  .001 ) sites. The primary composite outcome did not differ between internal jugular and femoral sites ( P  =  .97 ). Catheter-related bloodstream infections were significantly fewer with subclavian versus jugular access ( P  =  .001 ). Asymptomatic thrombosis was more frequent at femoral and jugular sites. Major mechanical complications were rare and did not differ significantly across sites. Conclusion Assuming universal real-time ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization, subclavian access retains lower infectious and thrombotic risk without an observed increase in mechanical complications, supporting its preferential use in intensive care units.

Female physicians often report lower self-confidence in their procedural and clinical competency compared to male physicians. There is limited data regarding self-reported confidence of female versus male trainees and any relation to objective competency in central venous catheter insertion. To analyze differences between male and female trainees in self-confidence and skill-based outcomes in placing central venous catheters. Using data from a central venous catheter simulation training program at a large tertiary medical center, we performed linear regressions to analyze confidence difference pre- and post-training, number of restarts, and number of cannulation attempts while controlling for baseline demographic characteristics of the sample. PGY-1 physician residents in all residency specialties who insert central venous catheters in the clinical setting at a tertiary academic center with a sample size of 281 residents. Confidence difference pre- and post-training measured on a Likert scale 1-5, number of restarts (novel global assessment variable), and number of cannulation attempts during the competency evaluation. Female trainees had both lower pre-program confidence (1.35 versus 1.74 out of 5, p < 0.001) and lower post-program confidence (3.77 versus 4.12 out of 5, p = 0.0021) as compared to male trainees. There was no statistically significant difference in number of restarts (95% CI - 0.073 to 0.368, p = 0.185) or cannulation attempts (95% CI - 0.039 to 0.342, p = 0.117) between sexes in linear regressions controlled for age, specialty designation, prior central venous catheter training, prior ultrasound guided vessel cannulation training, and pre-training confidence level. Female trainees rated their confidence significantly lower than their male counterparts both before and after the training program, despite no significant difference in skill-based outcomes. We discuss potential implications for trainees acquiring procedural skills during residency and for physician educators as they design training programs and delegate procedural opportunities.

ObjectiveBillions of vascular access devices (VADs) are inserted annually for intravenous therapy worldwide. However, their use is not without challenges. Facilitating the process and enhancing results, hospital authorities have created vascular access specialist teams (VASTs) with advanced competencies in the evaluation, insertion, care and management of VADs. The objective is to compare the effectiveness of VASTs versus standard practice regarding cannulation success and vascular access maintenance in hospitalised adults.DesignSystematic review, using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.Data sourcesWe conducted a structured data search on Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus and EBSCOhost up to 31 May 2023. We did not impose a time limit regarding the date of publication.Eligibility criteriaStudies were eligible for inclusion in the review if they were randomised and non-randomised trials and observational studies.Data extraction and synthesisWe included studies that described or evaluated the activity of VASTs compared with clinical practitioners. The outcomes analysed were the success of the cannulation and the incidence of associated adverse effects.ResultsThe search strategy produced 3053 papers published between 1984 and 2020, from which 12 were selected for analysis. VASTs are heterogeneously described among these studies, which mainly focus on insertions, frequently for patients with difficult intravenous access. Some patients presented with specific needs or requirement for specific insertion technique or catheter type. Compared with usual practice, these studies indicate that the involvement of a VAST is associated with a higher effectiveness in terms of first attempt insertions and insertion success rates, and a reduction in catheter-associated adverse events. However, meta-analyses confirming this trend are not currently possible.ConclusionsIt seems apparent that VASTS contribute to improving the health of patients during the administration of intravenous. VASTs seem to increase the effectiveness of VAD insertion and care and reduce complications.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021231259.

Background Chlorhexidine-gluconate (CHG) impregnated dressings may prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). Chlorhexidine-impregnated sponge dressings (sponge-dress) and gel dressings (gel-dress) have never been directly compared. We used the data collected for two randomized-controlled trials to perform a comparison between sponge-dress and gel-dress. Methods Adult critically ill patients who required short-term central venous or arterial catheter insertion were recruited. Our main analysis included only patients with CHG-impregnated dressings. The effect of gel-dress (versus sponge-dress) on major catheter-related infections (MCRI) and CRBSI was estimated using multivariate marginal Cox models. The comparative risks of dressing disruption and contact dermatitis were evaluated using logistic mix models for clustered data. An explanatory analysis compared gel-dress with standard dressings using either CHG skin disinfection or povidone iodine skin disinfection. Results A total of 3483 patients and 7941 catheters were observed in 16 intensive care units. Sponge-dress and gel-dress were utilized for 1953 and 2108 catheters, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, gel-dress showed similar risk for MCRI compared to sponge-dress (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.28–2.31, p  = 0.68) and CRBSI (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.34–3.70, p  = 0.85), less dressing disruptions (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.60–0.86, p  < 0.001), and more contact dermatitis (OR 3.60, 95% CI 2.51–5.15, p  < 0.01). However, gel-dress increased the risk of contact dermatitis only if CHG was used for skin antisepsis (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.38–2.71, p  < 0.01). Conclusions We described a similar infection risk for gel-dress and sponge-dress. Gel-dress showed fewer dressing disruptions. Concomitant use of CHG for skin disinfection and CHG-impregnated dressing may significantly increase contact dermatitis. Trials registration These studies were registered within ClinicalTrials.gov (numbers NCT01189682 and NCT00417235 ).

The insertion of non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheters (NTHCs) is a core procedure of nephrology practice. While urgent dialysis may be life-saving, mechanical and infectious complications related to the insertion of NTHCs can be fatal. In recent years, various techniques that reduce mechanical and infectious complications related to NTHCs have been described. Evidence now suggests that ultrasound guidance should be used for internal jugular and femoral vein NTHC insertions. The implementation of evidence-based infection-control ‘bundles’ for central venous catheter insertions has significantly reduced the incidence of bloodstream infections in the intensive care unit setting with important implications for how nephrologists should insert NTHCs. In addition, the Cathedia Study has provided the first high-level evidence about the optimal site of NTHC insertion, as it relates to the risk of infection and catheter dysfunction. Incorporating these evidence-based techniques into a simulation-based program for training nephrologists in NTHC insertion has been shown to be an effective way to improve the procedural skills of nephrology trainees. Nonetheless, there are some data suggesting nephrologists have been slow to adopt evidence-based practices surrounding NTHC insertion. This mini review focuses on techniques that reduce the complications of NTHCs and are relevant to the practice and training of nephrologists.

ObjectiveThe Standardizing Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End Stage Renal Disease (SCOPE) collaborative seeks to reduce hemodialysis (HD) catheter-associated blood stream infections (CA-BSI) by increasing implementation of standardized HD catheter care bundles. We report HD catheter care practices and HD CA-BSI rates from SCOPE.MethodsCatheter care practices and infection events were collected prospectively during the study period, from collaborative implementation in June 2013 through May 2017. For comparative purposes, historical data, including patient demographics and HD CA-BSI events, were collected from the 12 months prior to implementation. Catheter care bundle compliance in 5 care bundle categories was monitored across the post-implementation reporting period at each center via monthly care observation forms. CA-BSI rates were calculated monthly, and reported as number of infections per 100 patient months. Changes in CA-BSI rates were assessed using generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) techniques.ResultsThree hundred twenty-five patients with tunneled HD catheters [median (IQR) age 12 years (6, 16), M 53%, F 47%] at 15 centers were included. A total of 3996 catheter care observations over 4170 patient months were submitted with a median (IQR) 5 (2, 14) observations per patient. Overall bundle compliance was high at 87.6%, with a significant and progressive increase (p < 0.001) in compliance for 4/5 bundle categories over the 48-month study period. The adjusted CA-BSI rate significantly decreased over time from 3.3/100 patient months prior to implementation of the care bundles to 0.8/100 patient months 48 months after care bundle implementation (p < 0.001).ConclusionsUsing quality improvement methodology, SCOPE has demonstrated a significant increase in compliance with a majority of HD catheter care practices and a significant reduction in the rate of CA-BSI among children maintained on HD.