Ultrasound Guided Internal Jugular Vein Central Venous Catheterization in Critical Care Patients: A Comparative Study with the Landmark Technique

Background: Central venous catheterization is crucial in the management of the critically ill patients. Materials and methods: 45 critical care patients who underwent ultrasound-guided catheterization of the internal jugular vein were compared with 45 critical care patients in whom the landmark technique was used. Randomization was performed by means of a computer-generated random numbers table, and all patients were stratified with regard to age, sex, and body mass index. Results: Catheterization of the internal jugular vein was successfully achieved in 95.5% patients by ultrasound-guided technique and in 82.2% by using landmark technique (p value <0.05). Access time (skin to vein) and number of attempts were also significantly reduced in the ultrasound group. Conclusion: Our study suggests that ultrasound guided internal jugular vein catheterization in critical care patients is superior to the landmark technique.