Introduction: Today, temporary or permanent venous catheters are being increasingly used in patients with renal failure. It seems a necessity to be familiar with their clinical applications and complications as well as their efficacy. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two catheters of 16 cm and 20 cm lengths.

Methods: This research project was a descriptive, analytic study conducted on 40 hemodialysis patients in Zahedan. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups (n=20 per group). Analyses were made using Kolgromorov-Smironov test (P > 0.05) to examine normal distribution, and chi-square test for qualitative data at the significant level of a=0.05. The data were analyzed by SPSS 15.

Results: Infection frequency rates in 16 cm and 20 cm catheter groups were 10% and 15% respectively. The difference was not significant (P=0.633). The 20 cm catheter was of longer efficacy duration (744.1±10.13) than the 16 cm catheter (625.2±45.12). Again, the difference was not significant (P=0.259).

Conclusions: Femoral catheters of 16 cm or 20 cm sizes do not differ in terms of infection or efficacy, and one cannot be preferable to the other in this regard.