Central venous catheterization in the emergency setting.

To determine the appropriateness and rate of complications from central venous catheterization (CVC) in the emergency department of a university teaching hospital, criteria for justifiability were established and all such catheterizations during a 1-yr period were reviewed. Of 61 catheterizations in 57 patients, 41% could not be justified according to the criteria established. Eight (14%) patients had serious complications from catheter placement. This complication rate is higher than that in any previously published study, but no other study has examined only emergent catheter placement. These findings underline the importance of adhering to a limited set of indications for CVC in emergency departments.