AU Study Recruitment

Clinical Trial

Diagnostic Accuracy of Focused Subcostal Ultrasound for Central Venous Catheter Tip Confirmation: A Prospective Comparison with Fluoroscopy Using CT/MR as Reference Standard

Doctors use ultrasound to guide the placement of central IV catheters (central lines). This study tests whether a quick bedside ultrasound, done immediately after the line is placed, can confirm that the catheter tip is in the right position ? at the junction of the large vein and the heart (the cavoatrial junction). After the catheter is placed using the usual real-time X-ray (fluoroscopy), a brief ultrasound exam through the upper abdomen (about 3 to 5 minutes) is performed using an abdominal (curvilinear) ultrasound probe. The ultrasound images are compared to the fluoroscopy findings and, when available, to CT or MRI scans done as part of routine care. A second blinded radiologist re-reads a subset of the images to check for agreement between readers. Up to 400 participants will be enrolled at a single site (MCG at Augusta University). The ultrasound findings are not used to make routine decisions about the patient's care; however, if a reader identifies a clinically significant incidental finding, it may be communicated to the treating team. The goal is to determine how accurate ultrasound is for confirming catheter position and whether it could support safer, faster, or less expensive care in the future.

• Circulatory System
• Cavoatrial Junction
• Central Venous Catheter
• Interventional Radiology
• Subcostal Ultrasound
• Tip Confirmation
• Ultrasound