SEPT. 26, 2005 | For many critically ill patients, central venous lines provide a lifeline of medicine and nourishment. However, line placement also accounts for 5 percent to 19 percent of complications in these patients.

A study conducted recently at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) using a new procedure for central line placement attained a 100 percent success rate in avoiding complications. The study was the first to look exclusively at intensive care unit patients.

Hrushikesh Vaidya, M.D., postdoctoral fellow in pulmonology and critical care medicine at UAMS, has been invited to present his findings at Chest 2005, the annual conference of the American College of Chest Physicians, scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 3 in Montreal.

During Vaidya’s eight-month study, a total of 35 central lines were placed with ultrasound guidance and the use of micropuncture technique. The intensive care patients participating in the study were under treatment at UAMS and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

The micropuncture technique utilizes smaller gauge needles and thinner wire than those traditionally used in line placement. Real-time ultrasound provides a visual guide for the tip of the needle to approach and enter the internal jugular vein.

“By inserting central lines with the use of ultrasound technology, 21-gauge needles and a thinner wire, we were able to achieve a 100 percent success rate among intensive care patients. We are thrilled that no one involved in the study developed complications as a result of line placement and hope that this technique will lead to improved health care for the most critically ill patients,” Vaidya said.