The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recommends using ultrasound guidance for all central venous cannulation and reports that:
- Unsuccessful insertion of central venous catheters (CVCs) occur in up to 20% of all cases
- The rate of major CVC complications and minor complications is up to 10%
MedPAR data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) indicates:
- Iatrogenic Pneumothrax was reported with an incidicent of 2.31 per 1000 discharges in 2007
- As many of 18% of thoracenteses are complicated by pneumothorax
- Infection due to central venous catheter was reported an incidence of 2.06 per 1000 discharges in 2008
- CDC further estimates 5.3 per 1000 catheter days in the Intensive Care Units result in blood stream infections and that 250,000 such infections occur annually
Ultrasound Guidance Reduces These Risks
- Ultrasound guidance for CVC significantly reduces placement failures and reduces complications during attempted CVC placements with a relative risk reduction of 78%
- Ultrasound guidance reduces the rate of pneumothorax resulting from thoracentesis to 3% or lower (vs. 18% without ultrasound)
- In a study of 900 critical care patients, ultrasound guidance of internal jugular vein catheterization reduced complications dramatically as seen in the Making Technology Work for Improved Safety and Patient Care video
Related Education Video
Watch the Making Technology Work for Improved Safety and Patient Care video to learn more.
