Concomitant placement of dialysis and infusion catheters in the right internal jugular vein in the intensive care setting: Is it safe?

Purpose: This study examined the safety and efficacy of placing both a central venous dialysis catheter and a central venous catheter for infusion in the right internal jugular vein compared to only a central venous dialysis catheter. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review for all adult patients who underwent the placement of the right internal jugular dialysis catheter by a single surgeon. Patients were grouped based on whether they received a tunneled dual lumen dialysis catheter alone or in combination with a central venous infusion catheter in the right internal jugular vein. Catheter-related thrombosis, line infections, line malfunctions, pneumothorax, and need for line replacement were evaluated. Results: There were 97 patients in the dialysis catheter and central venous infusion line group and 63 patients in the dialysis catheter only group. The two groups were not different with regard to age (62.1 +/- 16.3 years vs 57.9 +/- 17.6 years) and gender (47.4% male vs 55.6% male). No significant differences were found in the incidence of thrombosis (1.0 % vs 0.0%,p > 0.999), line infection (2.1% vs 0.0%,p = 0.519), or line malfunctions (2.1% vs 0.0%,p = 0.516) in patients who did or did not have a central venous infusion catheter placed concomitantly with the dialysis catheter, respectively. No patients in either group had a pneumothorax. Conclusions: Although not currently utilized with frequency, these preliminary data indicate that placing both a dual lumen dialysis catheter and central venous infusion catheter in the right internal jugular simultaneously could be a viable option.