Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39471477›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of radiology2025

Value of projectional imaging relative to cross-sectional imaging to assess catheter tip position in the superior vena cava: evaluation of reader variability.

Giuseppe Gullo, David Christian Rotzinger, Pierre Frossard, Anaïs Colin, Guillaume Saliou, Salah Dine Qanadli

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of radiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Giuseppe GulloDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-9222-0622
David Christian RotzingerDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Pierre FrossardDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Anaïs ColinDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Guillaume SaliouDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-3832-7976
Salah Dine QanadliDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Funding

Consortium of Swiss Academic LibrariesLausanne University
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe cavo-atrial junction (CAJ) is the most appropriate central venous catheters CVC tip location to reduce complications. Among chest X-ray (CXR) landmarks for tips assessment, only the pericardial reflection lies in the same plane as the vascular structures. We aimed to evaluate the observer variability to determine tip positioning on CXR, using CT as a gold standard.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 107 CT scans of patients with port catheters (January-December 2021). The tip to CAJ distance (DCAJ) was measured on both projectional (PJ) and cross-sectional (CS) CT images by 2 × 2 observers (within and between evaluations). Observational statistics included paired t-tests, repeatability coefficients (RC), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), with data visualized using Bland-Altman plots.

resultsAll ICC were >0.9, indicating excellent reliability. The mean difference between observers comparing CS and PJ was 0.13 ± 0.80 cm (P = .10) with outer 95% confidence limits of 1.92 cm and -2.17 cm and an RC of 1.79 cm.

conclusionCXR provides a reliable method for CVC tip localization, though assessment variability is ±2 cm. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: CXR assessment of CVC tips shows both intra- and inter-individual variability, due to challenges in identifying the CAJ and catheter tip . While considering the 3 cm anatomical zone around the CAJ acceptable, operators should be aware of the 2 cm variability resulting from CXR assessment. To account for this variability and avoid the risk of positioning the tip beyond 3 cm from the CAJ, operators should reduce the CXR-based acceptable zone to 1 cm around the CAJ, impacting approximately 30% of procedures.

Indexed as

Catheterization, Central VenousCentral Venous CathetersTomography, X-Ray ComputedVena Cava, SuperiorAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedObserver VariationReproducibility of ResultsRetrospective Studiescentral venous cathetersconsensusobserver variationradiographysuperiorthoracictomography scannersvena cavaX-ray computed

Identifiers

PMID39471477
PMCPMC11751358

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.