Jugular bulb microdialysis

Introduction
As there is risk with intracranial placement of microdialysis catheters, researchers are evaluating whether jugular bulb metabolites identified via microdialysis may be sufficient for clinical decision making, as placement of a jugular venous catheter may be safer.

Utility
In one study of 12 patients undergoing both cerebral microdialysis as well as jugular bulb microdialysis, the strongest associations were observed for glucose and lactate values. However, correlations were not clearly strong enough for this to be a viable option, and it will require further study.