Mise en place échoguidée des cathéters veineux centraux

Central venous catheters placement may lead to complications such as haemo-pneumothorax, haematomas, with an incidence increasing with the number of attempts which however may be unsuccessful. Ultrasound devices are used more and more frequently to improve the safety of the procedure and the comfort of the patients. The mechanical complications and the infection rate related to the central venous catheter placement are reduced by ultrasound guidance. The technique is no more time consuming than the traditional approach using anatomic landmarks. Ultrasound guidance requires a high frequencies linear probe and strict hygienic principles. The needle puncture should be in the long axis with permanent visualization of the needle tip; a chest X-ray is still required to check the position of the tip of the catheter. The ultrasound technique should be the gold standard for central venous catheter placement because it provides greater safety and better comfort to the patients.