Not only intensive care, but also an intense experience for those affected and their relatives: as frightening as the apparatus may seem and as disturbing as the constant hustle and bustle can be, the monitoring and therapy in the intensive care unit are vital for the patient’s survival. Find out here when a stay in … Intensive Care Unit
Definition A central venous catheter, or ZVK for short, is a thin tube that is advanced through a large vein to just before the heart. The other end is free outside the body and usually consists of several accesses. These can be used to administer fluids (infusions) and medications on the one hand and to … Central venous catheter
Puncture locations There are basically different places on the body available for the installation of a central venous catheter and the physician can choose the most suitable one for each patient. The prerequisite for choosing a vein is that it is large enough and the distance to the heart is not too long. The most … Puncture locations | Central venous catheter
Complications The possible complication to be named with priority is an infection of the central venous catheter. Since the end of the catheter is located directly in front of the heart and thus centrally in the bloodstream, an infection quickly leads to germ transfer via the bloodstream. The consequence is usually a so-called sepsis (blood … Complications | Central venous catheter
Care A central venous catheter is a potential source of infection, so careful hygienic care is very important. The patient himself is not primarily responsible for this. He or she only has to make sure that the central venous catheter is not exposed to direct contamination. The actual care is carried out by the treating … Care | Central venous catheter
