Ultrasound guided supraclavicular central vein cannulation in adults: a technical report.

PURPOSE: Ultrasound-guided (USG) central vein cannulation has become very popular among anesthesiologists and critical care physicians in the last decade and it has been advocated as the gold standard practice for internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization.

METHODS: We report a technique used at our second level hospital for cannulating either subclavian vein or innominate vein using a supraclavicular (SCV) approach under real time ultrasound guidance for elective positioning of long, medium or short-term central venous catheters (CVC). We report one year of practice.

RESULTS: A total of 347 intravascular devices were positioned; successful USG SCV cannulation with no complication, failure or malposition was reported in 119 cases.

CONCLUSIONS: The SCV approach under ultrasound guidance is feasible and safe.