Umbilical catheters in radiodiagnostics. Expected findings, usual variants, peculiar positions

Umbilical catheters are commonly used in the neonatal intensive care setting. A chest radiograph is the most frequently obtained image in the neonatal intensive care unit. One reason for obtaining chest radiographs is to check the position of vascular catheters. Radiologists must be able to correctly localize the tip of a vascular catheter to avoid vascular catheter-related complications. There are two potential positions for the umbilical artery catheters. These are described as „high“ or „low“. The high position is above the diaphragm and the low position is above the bifurcation. The umbilical venous catheter should be positioned in the right atrium, in the junction of the inferior vena cava with the right atrium. The author in her paper gives a survey of the expected findings and aslo interesting images of UAC and UVC placement.

KEY WORDS:
umbilical catheters, fetal circulation, umbilical vessels, newborn