Triple-lumen catheter The most commonly used catheter for central venous access is the triple lumen catheter. They are preferred (particularly in the ICU) for their three infusion channels that allow for multiple therapies to be administered simultaneously. They are sized using the French scale, with the 7 French size commonly used in adults. These catheters typically have one 16 gauge channel and two 18 gauge channels. Contrary to the French scale, the larger the gauge number, the smaller the catheter diameter. Although these catheters possess one 16 gauge port, the flow is considerably slower than one would expect through a 16 gauge peripheral IV due to the longer length of the central venous catheter (see section on "catheter flow" above). It is important to note that the use of multiple infusion channels does not increase the risk of catheter-related blood stream infections.
Triple-lumen catheter The most commonly used catheter for central venous access is the triple lumen catheter They are preferred (particularly in the ICU) for their three infusion channels that allow for multiple therapies to be administered simultaneously They are sized using the French scale with the 7 French size commonly used in adults These catheters typically have one 16 gauge channel and two 18 gauge channels Contrary to the French scale the larger the gauge number the smaller the catheter diameter Although these catheters possess one 16 gauge port the flow is considerably slower than one would expect through a 16 gauge peripheral IV due to the longer length of the central venous catheter (see section on "catheter flow" above) It is important to note that the use of multiple infusion channels does not increase the risk of catheter-related blood stream infections