Comparison of ultrasound guidance for axillary or subclavian vein catheterization: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial

Methods Randomized non-inferiority single-centre study. All patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) or operating room, requiring a central vein catheterization (CVC) without contraindication for SVC, were randomly assigned to subclavian or axillary groups. The primary endpoint was to compare success rate of each approach. The secondary endpoints were: strategy success rates, catheter position and complications. Strategy of CVC consisted in using the allocated approach and switching to the non-allocated approach after two failed punctures.