The undulating line sign and other more common pediatric central catheter malpositions
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Read the article on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗Article · Jun 2022 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
This educational article reviews proper positioning of central venous and arterial catheters in pediatric patients, with emphasis on recognizing malpositioned lines that may cause life-threatening complications. The authors introduce the 'undulating line sign' as a novel radiographic indicator of inappropriate venous catheter course in newly placed lines.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Central venous and arterial catheters are among the most commonly assessed support devices by radiologists. The position of these catheters must be carefully assessed to ensure proper placement, as malpositioning may lead to life-threatening consequences. Therefore, it is important for radiologists to understand the anatomy of the central vessels and the expected location of catheters. While this can be difficult in small children and especially in neonates, knowledge of the expected course and ideal termination of catheters allows for recognition of a malpositioned line, which may be unsuspected clinically. The purpose of this article is to discuss appropriate positioning of central catheters in pediatric patients, focusing primarily on venous catheters. We also propose a new radiographic sign to recognize, the undulating line sign, as an indication of an inappropriate course of a newly placed venous catheter.
DOI: 10.1007/s00247-022-05303-z