central line? - Stroke Message Board

Pooky · 04-24-2001, 10:49 AM

My family told me while I was in the hospital after my stroke, the doctors had to give me something called a central line, because my veins are too hard to find and the central line enabled them to get my blood easily. I don't recall anything about this central line. If any of you had a central line, will you tell me what it is and what it looks like, etc.?

------------------
I had a hemorrhagic stroke on September 8, 1999.

matac52398 · 04-26-2001, 09:43 PM

I haven't had a central line but I used to be an ultrasound technician and I know what they are. Doctors usually put a central line in the subclavian vein. This vein is below your neck around your clavical bone. By putting a cental line in here, they are able to draw blood without having to continually find a vein in the arm which may collapse after being stuck so many times. It's kind of like having an IV line established in your neck. It basically just gives them access to your blood. Hope that makes sense. If you have any other questions, I can try to answer them for you.

Mary Ann

axe · 04-26-2001, 09:47 PM

A central line/central venous catheter/CVC is a special 'drip' that is inserted into either the subclavian vein (under the clavicle/collar bone) or in the internal jugular vein. The CVC often has multiple lumens (more than 1 tube within a tube) so fluids can be delivered, medications, and blood drawn back into a syringe if required. The a relatively easy to insert after some practice, but are only used when required as they have many more complications than usual peripheral lines. The CVC is about 30-45cm long, and inserted into the veins, passing close or into the right atrium of the heart. They have other uses also such as central venous pressures to assess those with difficult fluid balance.

Regards
R.

Pooky · 04-27-2001, 08:40 AM

Thanks for answering my question about the central line. When I first came home, I remember a nurse coming to the house to take some stitches out of an area near my shoulder. I think these might have been the stitches for the central line.

------------------
I had a hemorrhagic stroke on September 8, 1999.

axe · 04-30-2001, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pooky:
When I first came home, I remember a nurse coming to the house to take some stitches out of an area near my shoulder. I think these might have been the stitches for the central line.

[/B]

Yeah..thats correct..they are sutured in with 2 or 3 sutures as the trouble you go to putting them in, the last thing you want is them falling out

Also prevents the patient from pulling it out when they are confused.

Regards
R.