Dialysis Catheter Insertion with Extended Ultrasound Monitoring

Dialysis catheter insertion is a routine procedure performed when there is necessity of urgent renal replacement therapy initiation. Due to limited access, higher costs, and long waiting times for fluoroscopy, alternative visualization methods are introduced into clinical practice. One of the most promising is transthoracic echocardiographic monitoring of guide-wire introduction.

The feasibility of the technique was verified by nephrologists inserting dialysis catheters.

A single center prospective trial was performed (NCT03727581). Introduction of guide-wire was monitored with ultrasound to confirm correct position of the wire in the inferior vena cava (IVC) or right atrium (RA). The study group included 30 patients, 19 males and 11 females, 25-83 years old.

It was possible to obtain a good picture of IVC in the majority of patients. In 20 (66.7%) cases, IVC view was excellent; in 9 (30%) cases, was fair; and in 1 (3.3%) patient, we failed to visualize IVC. The guide-wire was identified in IVC in 12 (42.8%) patients, in another 9 (32.1%) patients guide-wire was visible in IVC after withdrawing and advancing it, and in RA in 6 (21.4%) patients. Catheters were successfully placed in 29 (96.7%) patients.

Detection of the guide-wire confirms correct course of the procedure and increases the safety of catheter insertion without fluoroscopy.