Azygos catheter placement as a cause of failure of dialysis

Common complications of venous dialysis catheters include sepsis and accidental removal. Angiographic demonstration of dialysis lines is only rarely requested usually to confirm the presence of clot or stenosis as a cause for poor dialysis flow. Poor flow can also be due to inadvertent placement of the catheter in the azygos system. The use of dialysis catheters with a long venous limb which extends beyond the arterial port may predispose to such placement as their lumen is lateral to the central axis of the catheter. In those patients with poor venous access catheter placement under angiographic control may be helpful.