Confirming Position of Venous Port

Excerpt

To the Editors: Totally implanted subcutaneous venous access ports are now widely used in patients treated with cancer chemotherapy. Complications associated with the use of these ports include local extravasation of the chemotherapeutic agents and migration of the catheter, also leading to extravasation. The intravascular position of the catheter before administration of chemotherapy can be verified by withdrawing blood through the port. In some patients, however, withdrawal fails. In these patients, fluoroscopy can be done during injection of a contrast medium into the port.

In the past, in patients with heart failure, circulation time was determined by injecting a substance