Is hand injection of central venous catheters for contrast-enhanced CT safe in children?

Abstract

Our objective is to review our safety experience with hand injection of central venous catheters for administration of i.v. contrast material for CT in children. Administration of i.v. contrast material by means of hand injection led to damage of four central venous catheters during a 6-year period at our institution (0.3% of central venous catheters hand injected during that time). In addition to the growing evidence of the safety of power injection of i.v. contrast material in central venous catheters, the potential danger of hand injection of central venous catheters should be considered when policies are made concerning the delivery of i.v. contrast material via central venous catheters.