N UVC POSITION T89

The tip of an umbilical venous catheter (UVC) should be outside the cardiac sillouette at approximately T8-T9 and it should be possible to freely aspirate blood.

A UVC tip sited at or below T10 carries a significantly higher risk of extravasation. It may be necessary to use these catheters in the short term, but they should be replaced at the earliest opportunity.

Reference: BAPM. Use of Central Venous Catheters in Neonates: A Framework for Practice. Revised 2018. BAPM: London.