['Experts and national regulatory bodies have deemed femoral vein catheterization (FVC) unsafe, and recommend avoiding it whenever possible.', 'To assess rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBI) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) complicating FVC.', 'Prospective observational cohort study.', 'Medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a 350-bed community teaching hospital.', 'Consecutive admissions to the MICU during 7 months.', 'Demographic, laboratory and Doppler ultrasound studies were collected on patients receiving large vein catheters (VC) in our MICU. Ultrasound examinations were systematically performed on the day of and 5 to 7 days after removal of FVC.', 'VC were inserted in 238 (35% of) patients. Of that total, 217 catheters were in large veins (49% FVC, 38% internal jugular and 13% subclavian) for an average of 2.7 days for femoral, 5.7 days for internal jugular and 3.6 days for subclavian vein catheters. During 1200 catheter-days, no central VC CRBI was identified. Of 107 FVC, initial and follow-up Doppler studies were performed in 50 patients. A total of 97% of patients received routine thromboprophylaxis and none had a DVT. Of the 57 patients with initial but no Doppler follow-up at 5 to 7 days following removal, no patient developed clinically detected venous thromboembolism (VTE).'] Does short-term femoral vein catheterization rarely cause thrombosis or bacteremia?