Central venous catheter insertion by a clinical nurse consultant or anaesthetic medical staff: a single-centre observational study

Abstract

Objective: To compare clinical outcomes of elective central venous catheter (CVC) insertions performed by either a clinical nurse consultant (CNC) or anaesthetic medical staff (AMS). Design, setting and participants: Prospective audit of a convenience sample of consecutive CVC insertions between July 2005 and October 2007 at a metropolitan teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia. The sample included all outpatients and inpatients requiring a CVC for either acute or chronic conditions. Main outcome measures: Number of CVC lines inserted;differences between outcomes in the CNC and AMS groups; complications during and after insertion.