A New Simple Technique for the Insertion of Cuffed Central Venous Catheters: An Initial Experience

Background: Although tunneled polyurethane catheters with polyester cuffs are useful when prolonged central venous access is necessary but their insertion still remains challenging at times. We report the first study of a new cuffed polyurethane catheter (Seldicuff) that can be easily inserted using the Seldinger technique without the need of a vein dilator and that incorporates a tunneling needle onto the catheter. A Seldicuff catheter was placed in 15 patients (mean age: 53 ± 11 years) who required prolonged parenteral nutrition. All catheters were inserted into the right subclavian vein. The procedure lasted 6.4 ± 0.8 minutes and no complication directly related to catheter placement was noted. Catheters remained in position for a mean duration of 103 days (range, 58 to 220 days). During this period, no infectious or mechanical complications were observed. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that placement of this novel cuffed catheter is as simple as inserting a conventional central venous catheter. (journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 25: 93–94, 2001)