central line

noun

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

Examples of central line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Schofield was arrested following a Medford police investigation, which was launched after hospital officials reported an increase of central line infections occurring at the medical center from July 2022 through July 2023, according to AP. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024 And suddenly the idea that rampant fraud had occurred became a central line of rhetoric as Trump sought to explain his performance. Philip Bump, Washington Post, 17 June 2024 The police department noted that medical experts consulted on the case said that the questionable deaths associated with Schofield's case could not be directly attributed to the central line infections. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 June 2024 The arrest comes nearly seven months after officials at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, a 378-bed hospital in Medford, contacted police with concerns about a growing number of central line infections among patients. Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for central line 

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of central line was in 1983

Dictionary Entries Near central line

Cite this Entry

“Central line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/central%20line. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

central line

noun
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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