central line

noun

Updated on: 15 Mar 2018

Definition of central line

medical

: an IV line that is inserted into a large vein (such as the superior vena cava) typically in the neck or near the heart for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes (as to administer medicines or fluids or withdraw blood)

Central lines transfuse IV fluids faster than standard IVs and are used to deliver medicines to sicker patients, usually in the intensive care unit or operating room.
—Tim Friend

Recent Examples of central line from the Web

Moore said Sherman's improvements have included having no patients develop central line or urinary tract infections in 12 to 15 months after admission and a significant decrease in surgical site infections.

— mike danahey, Elgin Courier-News, "Advocate Sherman in Elgin cracks '100 Top Hospitals' list," 10 Mar. 2018
On March 6, 2015, after Nora's ostomy and central line were removed, we were discharged and headed home for the very first time.

— lauren levy, Good Housekeeping, "An Unthinkable Medical Mistake Left Our Daughter with a Severe Brain Injury," 2 Mar. 2018
The conditions Medicare considers include rates of infections from colon surgeries, hysterectomies, urinary tract catheters and central line tubes inserted into veins.

— jordan rau, Washington Post, "Half Of Hospitals In Conn., Del. Hit By Medicare’s Safety Penalties," 5 Jan. 2018
When that failed, Harcourt said in court papers, the IV team tried to place what's known as a central line into a larger vein.

— tracy connor, NBC News, "Lawyer calls aborted execution attempt for Doyle Lee Hamm ‘torture’," 25 Feb. 2018
Patients with central lines are now bathed daily with single-use sterile wipes adjacent to the line and on surrounding areas and limbs.

— paul sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Report: Some hospital infection rates too high," 3 Feb. 2018
The service works by setting up a sort of central line to your employer’s payroll operation, uploading your paycheck information each period.

— ron lieber, New York Times, "You Can’t Fire Equifax, but Your Employer Can. Mine Just Did.," 26 Jan. 2018
An external central line, which ends outside the body, must be cleaned every day.

— melissa bailey, Kaiser Health News, "As Care Shifts From Hospital To Home, Guarding Against Infection Falls To Families," 19 Sep. 2017
An external central line, which has an end that lies outside the body, must be cleaned every day.

— melissa bailey, Washington Post, "Caring at home for a child with cancer can leave family members with risky tasks," 16 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'central line.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of central line

1983

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

central line

noun

medical Definition of central line

: an IV line that is inserted into a large vein (as the superior vena cava) typically in the neck or near the heart for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes (as to administer medicines or fluids or withdraw blood)

I had trained in the intensive care unit. I could start a central line, intubate a patient in respiratory failure, and insert a pacemaker.
—Margaret Seton, The New England Journal of Medicine, 29 Sept. 2011