ABSTRACT

The placement of central venous access devices has become an everyday component of the management of a significant proportion of patients suffering from a variety of maladies in a number of diverse treatment environments. Central venous access is routinely used in the treatment of critically ill intensive care unit patients for both durable intravenous access as well as a route for measurement of central hemodynamics. In less critically ill hospitalized patients, central venous access is frequently applied to difficult intravenous access situations or where prolonged intravenous administration of medications such as antibiotics or nutrition is required. Finally, as more and more treatment is transitioned from inpatient

to outpatient settings, central venous access devices are commonly seen in ambulatory patients receiving chemotherapy for malignancies and infections, prolonged intravenous nutrition, and as a means to perform renal replacement therapy.