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Echocardiographic Evaluation of Umbilical Venous Catheter Placement

Journal of Perinatology volume 23, pages 24–28 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare techniques for guiding and confirming placement of umbilical venous catheters (UVCs) using two-dimensional echocardiography.

STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-three newborns admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit who required an UVC or who were transferred within 24 hours of UVC placement at a referring hospital were studied. UVC position was assessed by antero-posterior (AP) chest radiography (CXR), lateral CXR, and oxygenation data. The accuracy of the above techniques was compared to echocardiography with saline contrast injection.

RESULTS: Echocardiography revealed that UVCs were located ideally at the right atrial/inferior vena cava junction in only 12 (23%) of 53 patients. Twenty-four (45%) were incorrectly positioned in the left atrium. The sensitivity and specificity of AP CXR in evaluating inappropriate UVC position were 32% and 89%, respectively. Lateral CXR and thoracic level on AP CXR did not predict accurately catheter position. UVC pO2 data were not useful in excluding left atrial placement.

CONCLUSION: Current methods to determine insertion length and confirm location of UVCs are not adequate. Echocardiography should be considered to confirm correct placement of UVCs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Anne Ades MD

  2. Department of Neonatology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Anne Ades MD

  3. Department of Cardiology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Craig Sable MD, Susan Cummings MD, MPH, Russell Cross MD & Gerard Martin MD

  4. Department of Radiology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Bruce Markle MD

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  1. Anne Ades MD
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  6. Gerard Martin MD
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Ades, A., Sable, C., Cummings, S. et al. Echocardiographic Evaluation of Umbilical Venous Catheter Placement. J Perinatol 23, 24–28 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210851

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