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To determine the best approach for central venous catheter (CVC) insertion in the subclavian vein (SCV), researchers randomized 98 children to catheterization of the right SCV using the supraclavicular or infraclavicular approaches. All patients were younger than 3 years and required general anesthesia and CVC placement. All catheterizations were performed by one experienced anesthesiologist using ultrasound guidance in the longitudinal view. Patients with severe lung disease, vascular malformations, prior CVC insertion, increased intracranial pressure, or prior thoracic surgeries were excluded.
All SCV catheterizations were successful. The supraclavicular group had shorter median vein puncture times (36 vs. 48 seconds), but median catheter …