Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Unidirectional 8-MHz continuous wave Doppler equipment can facilitate catheterization of the internal jugular vein.
In a prospective study, 8-MHz unidirectional, continuous wave Doppler equipment was shown to improve the success rate of internal jugular vein catheterization. In the first series of 100 patients, punctures were randomly divided into two groups, via the anterior or posterior route, representing the standard technique. ⋯ Via the anterior route, 14 of 50 test punctures were positive, with 11 catheter placements; for the posterior route, test punctures were positive in 25 of 50 cases, with 18 catheter placements. With the Doppler technique, it should be possible to increase the rate of successful catheterization of the internal jugular vein while reducing complications.
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The portability of modern real-time ultrasound units has led to a marked increase in the demand for examinations in medical, surgical, and pediatric intensive care units, the pediatric nursery, and the operating room. The results of all portable ultrasound examinations in the medical and surgical intensive care units at the Massachusetts General Hospital over a four-month period were analyzed to determine the efficacy of such studies. Of 48 examinations, portable sonograms were useful in 90 per cent, found new, clinically important information in 17 per cent, and led to misleading information in 4 per cent. Portable ultrasound examinations are valuable clinically and are probably cost effective.