Catheter

Useful evidence can include the catheter itself, photographs, packaging and device identifiers, instructions for use, procedure documentation, imaging showing catheter position, and records describing when a problem was first observed. When the device has been preserved, inspection and, when appropriate, appropriately planned testing may help document fractures, deformation, occlusion or flow restriction, leakage, or damage to connections.

Not necessarily. Questions about catheter materials, construction, mechanical performance, or failure can require device or engineering knowledge. Insertion technique, anatomical placement, monitoring, and clinical management may instead call for an appropriately qualified physician, nurse, or other clinical expert. A case can require both types of analysis when the allegations cross those boundaries.

Imaging may document where a catheter or catheter tip was positioned at a particular point in time and may show kinking, malposition, or other positional abnormalities. Comparison with earlier or later studies can also help assess whether the catheter migrated. Interpretation depends on the imaging involved, the question being addressed, and the qualifications of the expert reviewing it.