[Ultrasound-guided insertion and the proportion of catheter-associated thrombosis]

Central venous accesses are of great importance in daily medical practice. Insertion into the jugular vein is common due to its accessibility. Catheter-associated venous thrombosis is a relatively common medium-term complication. The use of ultrasound to guide catheterization offers multiple advantages and promises to make vascular access installation a safer technique.

To compare the proportion of catheter-associated jugular thrombosis when an anatomical landmark technique is used with respect to the ultrasound-guided technique.

An observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study that compares the frequency of thrombosis when the ultrasound-guided technique was used concerning anatomical reference technique in patients in an intensive care unit.

A total of 91 patients were studied: in 44 an ultrasound-guided technique was used, and in 47 anatomical references. A single case of mural thrombosis (2.7%) was observed in the ultrasound-guided insertion group vs. 11 cases (23.4%) in the other group, resulting in a significant association between the anatomical reference insertion technique and thrombosis. Chi squared (1, n = 91) = 8.86, p = 0.004.

The proportion of catheter-associated jugular thrombosis is greater when an anatomical reference technique is used compared to the ultrasound-guided technique.