Primary and Secondary Displacement of Central Venous Catheters

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Abstract
The frequency of primary and secondary displacement of central venous catheters was studied. Central venous catheters (102) inserted through a peripheral or a central vein before surgery or in the intensive care unit, were controlled by chest X-ray 5-720 min after insertion. The number of primarily displaced catheters was 27; the position was corrected in 8. The 83 correctly placed catheters were observed for 4-560 h. The number of X-ray controls was 2-24. The number of secondary displacements was 2, but 12 catheters showed minimal secondary displacement. The rate of complications was very low. Chest X-ray immediately after insertion of central venous catheters is absolutely necessary, but since the number of secondary displacements is very low, daily chest X-ray control is not necessary. The internal jugular vein is the best route for introducing a central venous catheter, as complications are very few and the number of displacements is very low.