ACCURACY OF BLOOD-SAMPLING THROUGH CENTRAL VENOUS LINES IN INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT PATIENTS

Objective: In intensive-care unit (ICU) patients it is common practice to sample blood from central venous lines (CVL). This study was desig ned to answer the question on how much blood has to be aspirated throu gh the CVL before the actual blood sample is taken to get accurate lab oratory findings. Design and Setting. Simultaneous blood samples from a peripheral vein (intraindividual control) and 5-ml portions from a C VL up to 25 ml were analyzed. Patients: 5 patients of an internal ICU participated in the study. Results: For the analyzed 24 different para meters it could be shown that after aspirating 10 ml of blood, the res ults are comparable to analyses from peripheral vein samples. Conclusi ons: Although blood sampling from a CVL - after aspiration of 10 ml bl ood - results in correct laboratory analyses, this procedure leads to a greater amount of blood loss and, hence, cannot be recommended in lo ng-term ICU treatment.