Does My Patient Have a Central Line?

A key strategy to prevent complications from central venous catheters (CVCs; triple-lumen catheters or peripherally inserted central catheters [PICCs]) is to remove lines when they are no longer needed. The first step in knowing when to remove lines is recognizing their presence.

Investigators at three U.S. academic medical centers examined nearly 1000 patients and identified more than 200 with CVCs in place. Subsequent surveys, given to more than 1800 primary inpatient clinicians (residents, advanced practice providers [e.g., physician assistants, nurse practitioners], and attending physicians) following morning rounds on their patients, showed that 21% of clinicians were unaware of CVCs in their patients. Lack of central line awareness was…