INTENSIVE CARE Pre-procedure ultrasound increases the success and safety of central venous catheterization

Editor’s key points † It is recommended that ultrasound (US) is used to facilitate cannulation of the internal jugular vein (IJV). † This observational cohort study compared pre-procedural US with landmark techniques for IJV cannulation under general anaesthesia. † Pre-procedural US was associated with higher success rates, shorter cannulation times, and fewer complications. † These differences occurred with both experienced and inexperienced operators. Background. Real-time ultrasound (US) in central venous catheterization is superior to preprocedure US. However, moving real-time US into routine practice is impeded by its perceived expense and difficulty. Currently, pre-procedure US and landmark (LM) methods are most widely used. We investigated these techniques in internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization in respect of operator experience, complications, and risk factors.