Quinton catheters are non-tunneled central line
catheter
In medicine, a catheter (/ˈkæθətər/) is a thin tubing (material), tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgi ...
s, which are often used for acute (i.e. temporary) access for
hemodialysis
Hemodialysis, also spelled haemodialysis, or simply dialysis, is a process of purifying the blood of a person whose kidneys are not working normally. This type of dialysis achieves the extracorporeal removal of waste products such as creatinin ...
or infusion of medicine when peripheral IV access is not possible (e.g. small vessel caliber, extensive burn injuries). They can also be used to infuse liquids which cause peripheral blood vessel irritation, directly into the
vena cavae
In anatomy, the venae cavae (; singular: vena cava ; ) are two large veins (great vessels) that return deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart. In humans they are the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava, and both empty into the ...
where they are immediately diluted.
The Quinton catheter is named after
Wayne Everett Quinton (1921–2015) who was a bioengineer at the University of Washington. Quinton was instrumental in developing a way of delivering kidney dialysis to hundreds of thousands of patients in kidney failure. He worked with doctors Belding Scribner and David Dillard to develop a surgically implanted device in an artery that allows patients with kidney failure to receive regular dialysis. A Quinton catheter has been used to deliver chronic dialysis since the mid-1980s.
See also
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Central venous catheter
A central venous catheter (CVC), also known as a central line(c-line), central venous line, or central venous access catheter, is a catheter placed into a large vein. It is a form of venous access. Placement of larger catheters in more centra ...
References
Catheters
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