What Is a Subclavian Catheter?
It is a short venous trunk located at the root of the neck. It extends from the outer edge of the first rib to the axillary vein. It runs inward behind the sternoclavicular joint and merges with the internal jugular vein into the head-arm vein. The subclavian vein is tightly bound to the nearby fascia, is relatively fixed, and has a large lumen, which can be used as a site for venipuncture or long-term catheter infusion.
- Chinese name
- Subclavian vein
- Foreign name
- subclavian vein
- Types of
- body parts
- Location
- Short venous trunk at the root of the neck
- Function
- Venipuncture or long-term catheter infusion
- It is a short venous trunk located at the root of the neck. It extends from the outer edge of the first rib to the axillary vein. It runs inward behind the sternoclavicular joint and merges with the internal jugular vein into the head-arm vein. The subclavian vein is tightly bound to the nearby fascia, is relatively fixed, and has a large lumen, which can be used as a site for venipuncture or long-term catheter infusion.
Anatomical structure of the subclavian vein:
- It is an upward continuation of the axillary vein, starting from the lateral edge of the first rib and converging with the internal jugular vein behind the sternoclavicular joint to form the head-arm vein. The subclavian vein is about 3 to 4 cm in length and 1 to 2 cm in diameter in adults. The front of the subclavian vein is the clavicle and the subclavian muscle; the upper back is adjacent to the subclavian artery, but the interval between the two is anterior oblique muscle; the phrenic nerve passes through the rear; the lower part contacts the superficial groove above the first rib. There are valves at both ends of the subclavian vein. The vein is closely connected with the surrounding structure during its passage, and its wall is connected with the fascia of the neck, the first periosteal membrane, the anterior oblique tendon, and the fascial sheath of the subclavian muscle, so it is fixed in position. When inhaled and arm raised, the subclavian vein lumen can be enlarged. If this vein is injured during surgery, air embolism can occur. At the corner of the subclavian vein and internal jugular vein, the left side receives a thoracic duct, and the right side has a right lymphatic duct injection. The subclavian vein is different from the artery of the same name. The subclavian artery emits many branches. The subclavian vein usually only has the external jugular vein, and occasionally accepts the superior scapular vein and transverse jugular vein. Because the diameter of the subclavian vein is large, the variation is small, the position is constant, and there are no important structures nearby, it can be repeatedly punctured and placed. Therefore, it is often chosen clinically as the method of deep vein puncture and catheterization. Various methods and techniques for inserting a subclavian vein catheter through the upper or lower clavicle have been used, but it is generally considered that it is better to perform it from the lower clavicle.
Subclavian vein puncture catheter placement
- Easy to complete from the terminal axillary vein. The connection between the axillary vein and the subclavian vein is located behind the medial 1/3 of the clavicle. This joint and the subclavian vein are separated from the subclavian artery and brachial plexus by the anterior oblique muscle (10-15 mm thick in adults and 5-8 mm in children). Therefore, it is safer to perform venipuncture near the axillary vein-subclavian vein junction than in the lateral axilla. Because the subclavian vein is thick and the blood flow is large, if the hypertonic solution is perfused, the incidence of thrombosis is smaller than that of the peripheral vein; patients who use the subclavian vein catheter can walk. When placing the catheter, the right side is smoother than the left side, so when the catheter is clinically punctured, the right side should be considered first.