Loading...
Many landmarks have been proposed to guide placement of infraclavicular subclavian intravenous lines (SCLs), but most landmarks require estimation or measurement. Researchers in Austria evaluated use of a long-touted palpable landmark -- a small tuberosity on the anterior surface of the lateral third of the clavicle -- that can be palpated reliably, even in obese patients.
In the first of four study phases, experienced (placement of more than 500 SCLs), blindfolded anesthesiologists palpated 100 dried cadaveric clavicles to determine the presence and location of the tuberosity. In the second phase, the same examiners palpated 20 fresh cadavers to locate the tubercle, which was then used as a landmark for placing SCLs. The needle entered the …