Central Line Placement Study -EVALUATION OF LINE DEPTH AS A FACTOR IN NEED FOR LINE REPLACEMENT SECONDARY TO MALPOSITION

Optimal central line placement is vital to catheter longevity. If malpositioned, the catheter may need to get replaced, potentially causing additional morbidity to the patient and additional cost to the healthcare system. In our department, a retrospective study looking at catheter tip position at inital placement and incidence of malposition. In this study, 404 catheter placements were reviewed, and a total of 162 (40.1%) were replaced. Out of the 162 replaced, 36 (22.2%) were replaced secondary to malposition. From this study, we were also able to conclude that catheter tips placed in a deeper position, approximately one and a half vertebral bodies below the carina, were less likely to be malpositioned in the future upon radiographic review.

Current standard of care does not dictate positioning of the line in a specific loacation. In the presence of these findings, we are proposing to conduct a single center randomized control trial in which tunneled central line catheters will be placed in two distinct, select positions. After informed consent is obtained from the patient and family, they will be randomized to one of two treatment groups. The shallow group will have the tip of the catheter located approximately one vertebral body above the carina. The deep group will have the catheter tip placed 1.5 to 2.5 vertebral bodies below the carina. Central line placement will be performed under fluoroscopy in the operating room to optimize catheter placement. Chest X ray in the post operative area will be used to confirm catheter tip position. The catheter tip position will then be followed up prospectively using chest X ray films at or within three months after placement to determine whether there is any malpositioning of the tip.