Misplacement of subclavian venous catheters: importance of head position and choice of puncture site.

We have investigated the frequency of misplacement of subclavian catheters in 200 consecutive patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The patients were allocated randomly to an attempt at infraclavicular cannulation of the right or left subclavian vein with the head turned either towards or away from the selected side, giving four groups. Catheterization was successful in 185 (92.5%) patients. Misplacement into the internal jugular vein occurred in 10 (5.4%) patients. No statistically significant difference (P less than 0.05) was demonstrated between the four groups.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes