A prospective randomised trial comparing insertion success rate and incidence of catheterisation-related complications for subclavian venous catheterisation using a thin-walled introducer needle or a catheter-over-needle technique. Gavin Denton and I discuss this piece of research which tries to establish which needle is best for inserting the central venous catheter into the subclavian vein. The results seem fairly clear in this one. I for one am going to be sticking to my current practice. Needle-catheter technique causes more complications compared to the needle-wire technique.

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