To make it easier to do it right, some ICUs now gather all the equipment needed on a single cart ahead of time and give nurses permission to halt a central line procedure if they see a doctor doing it wrong.

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Installing a central line is a tricky procedure that is often done by inexperienced residents.

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There's one other patient in line for a face transplant through the same Department of Defense grant that funded Wiens' procedure, Janis said.

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On its Compare Care Line, a Bellin financial adviser provides an average cost from the previous six months for a given procedure and the price range over that time period.

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