CVC position on chest x-ray (summary)
Last revised by Bálint Botz on 3 Feb 2022
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Jones J, Botz B, Elfeky M, et al. CVC position on chest x-ray (summary). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 23 Apr 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-51430
rID:
51430
Article created:
15 Feb 2017,
Jeremy Jones ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosures
Last revised:
3 Feb 2022,
Bálint Botz ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Bálint Botz had no recorded disclosures.
View Bálint Botz's current disclosures
Revisions:
8 times, by
7 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists
Chest x-ray CVC (central venous catheter) position should be assessed following initial placement and on subsequent radiographs.
Reference article
This is a summary article; for a more in-depth reference article see central venous catheter.
Summary
-
insertion
- may be inserted via
- internal jugular vein (left or right)
- subclavian vein (left or right)
- may be inserted via
-
assessing position
- window the image to best visualize the line
- trace the line from its insertion towards the heart
- visualize the tip of the line
- tip should be at the cavoatrial junction
- document the position of the line
-
potential malposition
- tip too high: proximal SVC
- increased risk of thrombus formation
- tip too low: distal right atrium or right ventricle
- increased risk of arrhythmia
- coiled or displaced in another vein
- tip too high: proximal SVC
Quiz questions
{"containerId":"expandableQuestionsContainer","displayRelatedArticles":true,"displayNextQuestion":true,"displaySkipQuestion":true,"articleId":51430,"questionManager":null,"mcqUrl":"https://radiopaedia.org/articles/cvc-position-on-chest-x-ray-summary/questions/2366?iframe=true\u0026lang=us"}
Incoming Links
Articles:
Cases:
- Malposition of a heat exchange central venous line in the subclavian artery
- Malpositioned central venous line in a vertebral vessel
- Misplaced internal jugular catheter into right subclavian vein
- Missed guidewire of CV line passing through right atrium
- Central venous catheter inserted into left subclavian vein
- Central line in subclavian vein
- Central venous catheter malposition
- Malpositioned internal jugular central venous catheter
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Education: Medical student curriculum
- radiology for students
-
neuroradiology
- imaging
- key findings
- conditions
- presentations
- cardiac radiology
-
chest radiology
- imaging
- key findings
- conditions
- presentations
-
abdominal radiology
- imaging
- key findings
- conditions
- upper GI
- lower GI
- hepatopancreatobiliary
- genitourinary
- vascular
- breast
- presentations
-
musculoskeletal radiology
- imaging
- key findings
- interpretation
- conditions
- upper limb
- lower limb
- pelvic fractures
- proximal femoral fractures
- distal fibula fracture
- 5th metatarsal fracture
- pediatrics
- spine
- major trauma
- joint pain/arthritis
- presentations
- upper limb
- lower limb
- hip trauma
- lower limb injury
- foot and ankle injury
- joint pain/arthritis
-
obstetrics and gynecology imaging
- imaging
- pelvic US - transabdominal
- pelvic US - transvaginal
- hysterosalpingogram
- CT abdomen
- MRI pelvis
- key findings
- endometrial thickening
- ovarian cysts
- conditions
- non-obstetric
- pelvic inflammatory disease
- tubo-ovarian abscess
- ovarian torsion
- ovarian neoplasms
- endometriosis
- endometrial hyperplasia
- endometrial carcinoma
- cervical cancer
- obstetric
- normal pregnancy
- abnormal first trimester
- ectopic pregnancy
- heterotopic pregnancy
- twins
- non-obstetric
- presentations
- PV bleeding
- pelvic pain
- PV discharge
- early pregnancy
- imaging
-
pediatric radiology
- imaging
- key findings
- conditions
- presentations