[Real-time ultrasound guided placement of permanent internal jugular vein catheters in maintenance hemodialysis patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of real-time ultrasound guided placement of permanent internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization in maintenance hemodialysis patients, and analyze its technical success and complication rate.

METHODS: We prospectively analyzed 63 patients (39 males, 24 females) who underwent permanent IJV cannulation with real-time ultrasound guidance from January to October in 2012. Under the real-time guidance of Logiq 5 color Doppler, we placed the tunneled cuffed catheters into the jugular vein by Seldinger technique. The number of needle punctures, technical success, the operation time, and complications were recorded. The patients were divided into a normal-risk group and a high-risk group: those who suffered multiple catheter insertions, previous difficulties during catheterization, poor compliance, obesity, impaired consciousness, skeletal deformity, disorder of haemostasis were regarded as high-risk patients.

RESULTS: Cannulation of IJV was done in all patients. Of the 63 catheters, 20 (31.7%) were placed in the high-risk patients; 60 (95.2%) were successfully placed at the first attempt, with the average number of punctures of (1.23±0.21) (range 1-3); Only 3 immediate complications (4.7%) developed; 3 (4.7%) catheter infections occurred in the course of using. Cannulation of IJV took longer time in the high-risk group than that in the normal-risk group [(30.6±0.11) min vs (19.1±0.09) min, P<0.05]. The number of needle punctures, percent of successful cannulation, and the frequency of immediate complications were similar in the high- and normal-risk groups. It was more likely to form catheter thrombosis during long-term use in the high-risk group (4/20, 20%) which might cause poor blood flow.

CONCLUSION: Permanent IJV cannulation under real-time ultrasound guidance is very safe with high success rates. Nephrologists can use this technique with ease and with minimal complications in both normal- and high-risk patients.