Optimal site for ultrasound-guided venous catheterisation in paediatric patients: an observational study to investigate predictors for catheterisation success and a randomised controlled study to determine the most successful site.

Jun Takeshita,Satoru Ogawa,Toshiki Mizobe,Teiji Sawa,Daniel I Sessler,Yoshinobu Nakayama,Yasufumi Nakajima

doi:10.1186/s13054-014-0733-4

Jun Takeshita, Satoru Ogawa + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-014-0733-4

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Journal: Critical Care	Publication Date: Dec 1, 2015
Citations: 57	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Kyoto Medical Center, Outcomes Research Consortium

Abstract

IntroductionVenous catheterisation in paediatric patients can be technically challenging. We examined factors affecting catheterisation of invisible and impalpable peripheral veins in children and evaluated the best site for ultrasound-guided catheterisation.MethodsSystolic pressure, age, sex, and American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status were determined in 96 children weighing less than 20 kg. Vein diameter and subcutaneous depth were measured with ultrasound. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the contribution of these factors to cannulation success with (n = 65) or without (n = 31) ultrasound guidance. Thereafter, we randomly assigned 196 patients for venous catheter insertion in the dorsal veins of the hand, the cephalic vein in the forearm, or the great saphenous vein. Success rates and vein diameters were evaluated by using Dunn tests; insertion time was evaluated by using Kaplan-Meier cumulative incidence analysis.ResultsIndependent predictors of catheterisation were ultrasound guidance (odds ratio (OR) = 7.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0 to 26.0, P = 0.002), vein diameter (OR = 1.5 per 0.1 mm increase in diameter, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0, P = 0.007), and ASA physical status (OR = 0.4 per status 1 increase, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9, P = 0.03). Cephalic veins were significantly larger (cephalic diameter 1.8 mm, P = 0.001 versus saphenous 1.5 mm, P <0.001 versus dorsal 1.5 mm). Catheterisation success rates were significantly better at the cephalic vein than either the dorsal hand or saphenous vein (cephalic 95%, 95% CI 89% to 100%, P <0.001 versus dorsal 69%, 95% CI 56% to 82%, P = 0.03 versus saphenous 75%, 95% CI 64% to 86%).ConclusionsThe cephalic vein in the proximal forearm appears to be the most appropriate initial site for ultrasound-guided catheterisation in invisible and impalpable veins of paediatric patients.Trial registry numberUMIN Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000010961. Registered on 14 June 2013.

Highlights

Venous catheterisation in paediatric patients can be technically challenging
In an initial observational study, we determined the factors that affect successful catheterisation of invisible and impalpable peripheral veins in paediatric patients weighing less than 20 kg
Catheterisation success rates were significantly better at the cephalic vein than at either the dorsal hand or saphenous vein

Summary

Introduction

Venous catheterisation in paediatric patients can be technically challenging. When veins are invisible or impalpable because of pre-operative dehydration or thick subcutaneous tissue, as is common in children from 1 to 3 years of age [1], peripheral venous catheterisation can be difficult and time-consuming. Various techniques have been reported to aid catheterisation in such cases [2,3,4,5]. These methods (cutdowns, local warming, and nitroglycerin ointment) are rarely used, because they are time-consuming [5] or overly invasive [2,3]. Ultrasonography is an easy and non-invasive technique that has been used to guide peripheral venous access, similar to that for central venous access [6,7,8] and radial artery catheterisation [9,10,11]

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