Table 3.

Catheters used for venous and arterial access

Catheter type	Features	Common use	Duration
Peripheral
Peripheral venous catheters	Peripheral single lumen Inserted in veins of forearm or hand in adults	Administration of fluid/blood and medication	Short, up to 7–10 days
Peripheral arterial catheters	Single lumen, large calibre Most commonly placed in radial artery; alternatives are femoral, axillary, brachial and posterior tibial arteries	Haemodynamic monitoring Access/blood draw Administration of fluid and medication	Short, up to 7–10 days
Midline catheters	Commonly placed in proximal basilic or cephalic veins via the antecubital fossa. Does not enter central veins	Administration of fluid, blood and medication	Short, 1–4 weeks
Central
Non-tunnelled central venous catheters	Single and multiple (up to five) lumens Percutaneously inserted into subclavian, internal jugular or femoral veins	Administration of fluid, blood and medication Access/blood draw Multi-lumen catheters used for administration of parenteral nutrition	Short, up to 7–10 days
Tunnelled central venous catheters	Image guided or surgical placement Implanted into subclavian, internal jugular or femoral veins	Frequent long-term access Parenteral nutrition Transfusion Haemodialysis Blood sampling	Long, months/years
Totally implantable catheters	Image guided or surgical placement Tunnelled beneath skin and have a subcutaneous port accessed with a needle Implanted into subclavian or internal jugular vein	Single or double lumen Infrequent access on a long-term basis	Long, months/years
Peripherally inserted central venous catheters	Inserted into basilic, cephalic or brachial veins and enter the superior vena cava	Administration of fluid and medication including chemotherapy Parenteral nutrition Blood sampling	Medium, 4 weeks to 6 months

Adapted from O'Grady et al. 2011.³³⁴