Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Access: Central Venous and PICC Line Techniques
Central venous catheterization (CVC) and PICC line insertions are critical procedures in emergency and critical care, but they carry the risk of serious complications if not performed accurately. Ultrasound guidance has become the standard of care for identifying venous anatomy, improving procedural success, and reducing patient risk. Organizations such as the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence endorse ultrasound-guided central venous cannulation (UGCVC) as a recommended practice.
This course equips physicians and healthcare professionals with the skills needed to perform safe, effective, ultrasound-guided vascular access. Participants will benefit from expert demonstration, hands-on practice with phantoms, and guidance on performing procedures that directly impact patient outcomes—ranging from central line placement to identification of deep vein thrombosis. Basic ultrasound knowledge is helpful, but this course goes beyond fundamentals to enhance your diagnostic accuracy and procedural proficiency in clinical practice.
Faculty: Shawn Shanmuganathan, BS, RDMS, RVT- No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
Tuition
Advanced Registration $495 = more than 60 days before the course
Regular Registration $695 = 30-60 days before the course
Late Registration $895 = 30 days or less before the course
CME Credit
“The Advanced Health Education Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.”
“The Advanced Health Education Center designates this educational activity for a maximum of 6 hours AMA PRA Category I™. Physicians should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.”
Disclosure of Relevant Financial Interest for Individuals in Control of Content
As an ACCME-accredited provider, Advanced Health Education Center (AHEC) is committed to ensuring balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its educational activities.
In accordance with ACCME Standard 3, AHEC requires that all individuals in control of content—including planners, faculty, committee members, and administrative personnel involved in the planning, development, or production of educational activities—disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies within the past 24 months. A financial relationship is considered relevant if it exists between the individual and an ineligible company whose products or services are related to the content of the educational activity.
AHEC has implemented mechanisms to identify, mitigate, and disclose relevant financial relationships to prevent commercial bias in its educational activities. All disclosed relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the educational activity.
The individuals listed below are acknowledged by AHEC as having control of the content, planning, development, or administrative support of all educational activities.
Marilyn Sackett, M. Ed, RT (R), Committee Member
AHEC: President
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Jence Garza, MHA RT(R) - Committee Member
AHEC: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Peggy Hoosier, M.Ed RT(R)(M) - Committee Member
AHEC: Consultant
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Kelli Reddix, MBA, BAAS, LVN - Program Director
AHEC: Senior Vice President
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Nanette Joiner
AHEC: Administrative Support
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Debbie Robertson, BS, RDMS
Ultrasound Faculty
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Virlene Guzman, RT(R), RDMS, RVT
Ultrasound Faculty
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Shawn Shanmuganathan, BS, RDMS, RVT
Ultrasound Faculty
No relevant financial interest to disclose
Content Validation:
All presentations designated for AMA PRA Category 1™ credit undergo a rigorous review process to ensure content validity. This process includes:
Curriculum Committee Review: All content is reviewed and approved by members of the curriculum committee for scientific accuracy, balance, and alignment with current evidence-based practices.
Peer Review: Where applicable, content is subjected to peer review by individuals with appropriate clinical expertise and no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.
Conflict of Interest Assessment: Prior to the advertisement and delivery of the educational activity, all individuals involved in the planning, development, or production of the activity disclose any relevant financial relationships. Any identified conflicts are resolved in accordance with ACCME Standard 3.5.
Identification of Emerging Topics: New and evolving topics are clearly identified as such within the program to distinguish them from established, evidence-based practices.
This comprehensive approach ensures that all educational content is fair, balanced, and based on the best available evidence, thereby supporting safe and effective patient care.
We understand that you may want/need to practice your new skill set more than the regularly scheduled courses allow. You can add an extra day of scanning in addition to this course by calling AHEC and speaking to a faculty member about our private tutorial option. Additionally, this tutorial is a one on one session with our expert faculty and can be designed to enhance your already developed skills. Call AHEC at 1-800-239-1361 for more information or click here for more details. Private Ultrasound Tutorials
AHEC Cancellation and Refund Policy for Skills Courses
AHEC defines a skills course as a limited enrollment course where a received registration with payment reserves your place in a course (i.e. all Ultrasound courses, Mammography Initial Training and other theory courses). For cancellations received at least two weeks prior to the course date, a refund minus the 3% transaction fee and a 30% processing fee will be given. Within two weeks of the course, no refund is given, but a tuition credit – less a 30% processing fee – may be applied to a future course. No refunds or tuition credit is given for non-attendance. Facilities may substitute employees by notification to AHEC at least one week in advance.

Course Objectives
At the completion of this course, the learner will be able to:
Define deep vein thrombosis and list factors that would put a patient at risk for DVT.
Explain how to place a central line under ultrasound guidance
Course Topics
Venous orientation and pathology to demonstrate DVT
Upper and lower extremities, to include the jugular, subclavian, femoral, saphenous, basilic and superficial veins of the upper extremity
Proper way to compress veins
Use color Doppler to evaluate areas of suspected DVT prior to inserting a line
Central and peripheral line placement
PICC lines will be introduced as important and time saving ways of managing critically ill patients
Hands-on practice will be offered for all topics using phantoms
Tags: Ultrasound CME, Vascular Ultrasound, Sonography, PICC Line Access, Ultrasound Guided Vascular Access, Continuing Education, CME