Comparison of central venous catheterization with and without ultrasound guide.

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness, safety and time needed to perform central venous catheterization (CVC) in the presence or absence of an ultrasound (US) guide.

Methods: Between January 1999 and February 2002 we performed CVCs in 196 patients: 105 patients received US guided CVC (group I) and 91 patients had CVC without US guide (group II).

Results: The average time to perform CVC was shorter with US guide (4 vs 7 min).