Skip to main content
Log in

Umbilical venous catheter position: evaluation by ultrasound

  • Pediatric
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Umbilical venous catheter (UVC) insertion is frequently performed in critically ill neonates, with catheter position evaluated by an abdominal radiograph. The position of the catheter can be difficult to assess based on supine film alone. We aimed to determine whether ultrasound enables precise evaluation of the catheter tip position.

Methods

We prospectively evaluated UVC position in 75 neonates by ultrasound and supine abdominal radiograph. Distance from the catheter tip to the diaphragm was measured for both modalities. Anatomical location of the catheter was recorded for both studies. The Student’s t-test was used to compare the means of the differences in catheter position on radiograph and ultrasound.

Results

In 46 patients there was no difference in the distance between the catheter tip and the diaphragm on ultrasound and radiograph. In 29 babies there was a difference of 1-to-7 mm. Ultrasound identified malposition of the catheter in three cases in which the position of the catheter on the plain film was deemed acceptable.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that ultrasound is reliable and may replace plain radiograph for the identification of the UVC position, preventing complications from malposition, and reducing exposure to ionizing radiation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ringer SA, Gray JE (2008) Common neonatal procedures. In: Cloherty JP, Eichenwald EC, Stark AR (eds) Manual of neonatal care. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins-Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia, pp 649–665

    Google Scholar 

  2. Oestreich AE (2010) Umbilical vein catheterization—appropriate and inappropriate placement. Pediatr Radiol 40:1941–1949

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Narla LD, Hom M, Lofland GK, Moskowitz WB (1991) Evaluation of umbilical catheter and tube placement in premature infants. Radiographics 11:849–863

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Greenberg M, Movahed H, Peterson B, Bejar R (1995) Placement of umbilical venous catheters with use of bedside real-time ultrasonography. J Pediatr 126:633–635

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Berger TM, Stocker M, Caduff J (2006) Neonatal long lines: localisation with conventional radiography using a horizontal beam technique. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 91:F311

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen CC, Tsao PN, Yau KI (2001) Paraplegia: complication of percutaneous central venous line malposition. Pediatr Neurol 24:65–68

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Groves AM, Kuschel CA, Battin MR (2005) Neonatal long lines: localisation with colour Doppler ultrasonography. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 90:F5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Madar RJ, Deshpande SA (1996) Reappraisal of ultrasound imaging of neonatal intravascular catheters. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 75:F62–64

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ades A, Sable C, Cummings S, Cross R, Markle B, Martin G (2003) Echocardiographic evaluation of umbilical venous catheter placement. J Perinatol 23:24–28

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. George L, Waldman JD, Cohen ML, Segall ML, Kirkpatrick SE, Turner SW, Pappelbaum SJ (1982) Umbilical vascular catheters: localization by two-dimensional echocardio/aortography. Pediatr Cardiol 2:237–243

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Oppenheimer DA, Carroll BA, Garth KE, Parker BR (1982) Sonographic localization of neonatal umbilical catheters. AJR Am J Roentgenol 138:1025–1032

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Natalia Simanovsky.

Additional information

N. Simanovsky and N. Ofek-Shlomai contributed equally to this paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Simanovsky, N., Ofek-Shlomai, N., Rozovsky, K. et al. Umbilical venous catheter position: evaluation by ultrasound. Eur Radiol 21, 1882–1886 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-011-2129-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-011-2129-z

Keywords

Navigation