title: Central venous catheter use. Part 1: mechanical complications.
abstract: Central venous catheters are being increasingly used in both intensive care units and general wards. Their use is associated with both mechanical and infectious complications. This review will focus on short- and medium-term mechanical complications of catheter placement; infectious complications will be discussed in a separate article. The most important risk factors are patient characteristics (morbidity, underlying disease and local anatomy), the expertise of the doctor performing the procedure, and nursing care. Placement aids, such as ultrasound-guided catheter insertion, are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, University Medical Centre, Vrije Universiteit, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. k.polderman@tip.nl
authors.forename: Kees H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Polderman
authors.forename: Armand J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Girbes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D003422:Critical Care; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012421:Rupture