Fifty-three central venous catheters were followed up by radiography or direct observation during open-heart surgery. Forty of these were satisfactorily positioned for recording central venous pressure or for sampling central venous blood. Radiography showed that the catheter tip was in an unsatisfactory position in 21 per cent of cases. It is recommended that radiographic confirmation of the site of the catheter tip be obtained as a routine and if necessary the catheter can be re-positioned and another radiograph taken.
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