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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

The Supraclavicular Fossa Ultrasound View for Central Venous Catheter Placement and Catheter Change Over Guidewire
Published on: December 23, 2014
Endocavitary electrocardiography during central vein catheter positioning in a newborn with persistent left superior
Luigi Avolio1, Antonio Rinaldi, Gianpaolo Serafini
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy. l.avolio@smatteo.pv.it
Abstract:
We report an unusual presentation of the P wave and QRS complex during ECG-guided endocavitary assessment of the proper location of the central venous catheter in a pre-term infant operated on for esophageal atresia. The P wave and QRS complex had a normal morphology, but lay specularly to normal above the isoelectric line. The chest x-ray showed that the unusual ECG pattern was due to the left paracardiac position of the catheter, just lateral to the aortic arch within a persistent left superior vena cava.
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