[Placement of central venous catheters using intra-arterial ECG recording]

Due to the complications associated with the incorrect placement of a central venous pressure (cvp) catheter, the correct positioning of a cvp catheter must be controlled. The widespread standard in many hospitals is to carry out a chest x-ray (cxr) following the infusion of a contrast medium through the catheter tip. Together with a recent publication and our experience we would like to introduce a method, which is presently not in widespread use, which enables the exact localization of a catheter tip under ECG control. This technique is simple to apply, reliable and time saving. Furthermore it costs only 20% of the amount required for a radiologically controlled catheter placement. Important for ECG-guided catheter placement control is the availability of an ECG monitor suited for intracardial application and the patients heart rate must be in sinus rhythm.