Ultrasonographic appearance of infusion via the peripheral intravenous catheters

Abstract

 The aim of the present study was to examine whether ultrasonography（US）can be used to assess the location of peripheral intravenous catheters（PIVCs）in the peripheral vein and surrounding tissues. A total of 30 adults with PIVCs inserted were examined in a prospective study. Transverse and longitudinal US images were used for analysis of the position of the PIVC tips, the strong adherence to vessel wall near the PIVC tips, the collapsed intravascular lumen in the PIVCs tips, the intravenous thrombus, the vessel wall thickness obtained with PIVCs, and the edema of the subcutaneous fat layer（subcutaneous edema）. We found that US identified the PIVC tips located in the inside of intravascular lumen in 26/30 patients, with an unknown location in four cases. US images of the intravascular lumen obtained with PIVCs were classified into three main patterns: the venous thrombus（thrombus type）in 8; the vessel wall thickness without the thrombus（wall thickness type）in 2; and the venous thrombus with vessel wall thickness（mixed type）in 8 and in the remaining 8 patients. These data suggest that US imaging is a useful technique for investigation of complications following PIVC placement.