Objective: To identify the complications that arise and management standards external jugular venous access in patients in critical care or intermediate health warrant hospitalized in intensive care units and special care from a clinic in third level Medellin, 2010. Methods: Prospective descriptive study conducted in 104 patients, information was collected through direct observation of them and filling out a form for data collection. Data was analyzed through measures of absolute and relative frequency. Results: The incidence of complications was 26%, with unscheduled withdrawal being the most common (51.9%). The success of external jugular vein catheterization was 91.3%. 81.7% of patients with venous access were external jugular cannulated up to 5 days without complications for your stay. Conclusion: external jugular access should be considered in patients who are difficult to target and can be used for administration of drugs and potentially vesicants or hyperosmolar solutions. The low incidence of complications, this procedure allows it to perform properly trained nurse and the success of the pipeline depends on the prior training of caregivers, but this procedure was the foundation of clinical experience and undergraduate education without specific course prior to this technique