Effects and costs of two different of intravenous infusion routes for very low birth weight infants

Abstract

Objective To compare the effects and cost of peripheral intravenous catheter (PIV) and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) on very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) . Methods From July 2013 to August 2015, 95 VLBWI with PICC (PICC group) and 90 VLBWI with PIV (PIV group) admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Changzhi Maternal and Child Care Hospital were included in the analysis. The two groups were compared in body mass increase, average length of hospital stay, incidence of catheter-related complications, and care cost and effect. Results The body mass increase per weak was higher in the PICC group than in the PIV group, with statistically significant difference (P 0.05). The average monthly cost in the PICC group (1 951.5 yuan) was lower than that in the PIV group (2 008.5 yuan), and the cost of single insertion in the PICC group (1 691.5 yuan) was higher than that in the PIV group (129.9 yuan), the cost-effectiveness was better in the PICC group than in the PIV group (30.22 vs. 36.45). Conclusions For VLBWI, PICC can reduce the times of venous puncture, the incidence of complications, and promote body mass increase. However, the monthly cost was similar between the two groups in this study, possibly because of the short-time of this study. The advantages in cost-effectiveness of PICC may become more prominent when the catheter dwelling time extends. Key words: Peripherally inserted central catheter; Very low birth weight infant; Catheter-related complication; Cost