What is cvp line

Anzilotti, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Are Central Lines? What Are the Types of Central Lines? Doctors might use a central line instead of a regular IV line because: It can stay in place longer up to a year or even more. It makes it easier to draw blood. One end of the catheter comes out through the skin so medicines can be given right into the catheter.

An implanted port is similar to a tunneled catheter, but an implanted port is placed entirely under the skin. Medicines are given by a needle placed through the skin into the catheter. Where are central venous catheters used? Additional Resources. Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address.

What's this? The sterile drape is intended to help reduce the risk of infection, and studies have shown that covering the entire body, rather than just the area where the central line will be placed, is the best practice for the prevention of infection. Once the patient is draped, the area of skin is cleaned. If the patient is awake, the area of skin may also be numbed with a local anesthetic.

Using sterile technique, a hollow catheter is inserted into the vein, typically using ultrasound to locate the appropriate blood vessel. The catheter is then stitched in place, or an adhesive device is used to hold the catheter still at the insertion site. The area is then cleaned again with antiseptic and a sterile dressing is placed over the insertion site, with the lumens accessible.

Placement of the catheter must be confirmed using an X-ray before the central line can be used, to avoid accidentally infusing medications into a tissue or the wrong blood vessel. In some cases, the catheter may be in the correct vessel, but need slight adjustment because the catheter is either too far in the vessel or not quite far enough.

There are risks associated with the insertion of a central line, which must be weighed against the patient's need for the line. Infection is the greatest risk. To help prevent infections , standardized best practices have been implemented. These practices include scheduled sterile dressing changes, the use of a full-body sterile drape during placement of the line, removing the line as soon as it is no longer necessary, and only inserting central lines that are absolutely necessary.

Central lines are typically placed above the waist when possible to minimize the risk of infection. Femoral vein sites are associated with higher rates of infection. The dressing placed over the insertion site is typically clear, which allows the healthcare team to check for signs of infection without exposing the insertion site to air more than absolutely necessary.

Other risks include pneumothorax collapsed lung , particularly if the central line is placed in the subclavian vein. This is treated with a chest tube when necessary. During the insertion of some types of central lines, the heart may be irritated by the process while the line travels through the blood vessels near the heart, causing an alteration in the heart's rhythm.

This typically resolves with appropriate placement of the line but may require medication for some rare individuals. One final complication of central lines is an air embolism, a condition where air enters the vascular system and begins to travel through the body. This condition, which is very serious, is also very rare and largely preventable. A central line is extremely useful when a patient is ill, but it is not risk-free.

For many patients, the benefit of not having multiple "sticks" for blood draws and having dependable IV access in place is greater than the risks presented by this type of access. For some patients, the central line makes a hospitalization more bearable, while others are not bothered by blood draws and prefer to avoid the potential complications that a central line can bring. Peripherally inserted center catheter PICC lines are placed in the arm rather than the chest, neck, or groin.

They are a very long type of catheter that is threaded up through a vein in the arm toward the heart. After inserting the catheter, a chest X-ray should be performed to check that the central venous device is in the correct position and to rule out pneumothorax, haemothorax and cardiac tamponade. Central venous pressure CVP is a measurement of pressure in the right atrium of the heart. A series of measurements needs to be recorded to establish a trend as a one-off measurement would not give a true indication of the CVP.

The measurement can be recorded either manually, using a water manometer set, or electronically, using a transducer. Electronic measurement is most common in the critical care environment.

When the measurement is recorded via a transducer the recording is constant. Although the transducer has to be calibrated zeroed , this is carried out electronically via a monitor before each recording. The measurement should be recorded from the same position each time: the patient should lie flat and recordings can be measured either from the sternal angle or, most commonly, at the mid-axilla point.

The nurse should document the site from which the measurement is being recorded to maintain the continuity and accuracy of the trend of the CVP. Explain the procedure to the patient and ensure that the patient is comfortable.

The water manometer should be attached to intravenous fluid, for example normal saline 0. The three-way tap should be turned to fill the manometer with the fluid. Once full, the tap to the fluid should be turned off and the tap to the patient should be opened.

This can be as a result of haemorrhage, excessive diuresis or excessive extravasation. A high CVP recording is more complex but can indicate the following:.

These complications include:. Arterial blood is bright red and blood flow is substantial;.