Development and feasibility of an echocardiography-guided tip location program for central venous catheter implantation

Nurs Crit Care. 2025 Jan 13. doi: 10.1111/nicc.13207. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

This is a prospective observational study designed to develop an echocardiography-guided tip location program for central venous catheter (CVC) implantation, and to assess the feasibility and the accuracy of the program. First, a multidisciplinary expert committee designed an echocardiography-guided tip location program; then, a pilot prospective observational study was conducted to assess the feasibility of the program in a vascular access clinic in a tertiary hospital. A total of 186 patients participated in the study. Successful echocardiography-guided tip placement was achieved in 172 (92.5%) patients. The accuracy of the program reached 99.4%. The program of echocardiography-guided tip location is feasible and accurate. Ultrasound images revealed notable discrepancies at various locations, allowing specialized nurses to conduct echocardiography-guided tip placement during CVC insertion through targeted training and practice.

Keywords: catheterization; central venous catheters; device implantation; echocardiography; ports.