Comparative study on proper placement of central venous catheters with & without stillete

Observing a standard protocol, central venous catheterization was performed, via the right basilic vein, in 100 patients. At random, 50 patients received a catheter with stillete and 50 without stillete. Catheter tip was localized on a chest radiograph; 78 per cent with stilletes and 80 per cent without stilletes were properly positioned (either in the right atrium or the superior vena cava). Most common aberrant placement was in the right ventricle (14% of each type of catheters), and this did not produce any ventricular arrhythmias. Eight per cent of catheters with stillete and 6 per cent without stilletes were malplaced into the ipsilateral internal jugular vein. The incidence of proper and improper placement was similar with the two types of catheters. Silent catheter migration into the right ventricle is very frequent than recognized when an estimated catheter length is inserted without radiologic control.