title: Safety of a training program for ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein catheterization in critically ill patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a training program for performing ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein cannulation in critically ill patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort prospective study, evaluating adult patients admitted in a teaching intensive care unit (ICU). Catheter placement was performed by an ICU medical resident. The patient's baseline characteristics, vessel's position and operator experience were the evaluated variables. The main outcomes were cannulation success rate and incidence of major complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 118 consecutive patients were enrolled between May 2008 and November 2009. The success rate of ultrasound guided catheter placement was 90% (106/118), 77% in the first attempt. Major complications occurred in 4% of the cases (n = 5) and were not associated with the analyzed variables. Inability to place the guide wire was the reason for 58% (7/12) of the failures. Operators with more than 15 previous ultrasound guided cannulations had an increased success rate (95% vs. 79%, p = 0.01) and increased failure was related to previous catheterization (26% vs. 7%, p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Learning ultrasound guidance for IJV vein cannulation was safe and feasible in ICU patients. This process was not associated to complications and better results were achieved across the spectrum of operator experience.
authors.affiliation: Adult Intensive Care Center, Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. fdneto@tj.rs.gov.br
authors.forename: Felippe Leopoldo
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Dexheimer Neto
authors.forename: Cíntia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roehrig
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: Roselaine Pinheiro de
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Cassiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Juçara Gasparetto
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Maccari
authors.forename: Andre Luiz da Silva
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Alencastro
authors.forename: Régis Bueno
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Eubrando Silvestre
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000379:methods*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy; D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011677:Punctures / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*