Venous Catheters In Infants Research Articles

Performance of tunnelled, non-cuffed central venous catheters in infants: A scoping review.

To summarise and critique existing knowledge and evidence relating to the utility, and post-insertion complications surrounding tunnelled non-cuffed central venous catheters (tncCVCs) in infants. A scoping review of original research studies reporting the use of, and post-insertion complications associated with, tncCVCs in infants was completed. MeSH terms were used to formulate a systematic search, and data were extracted using a customised data extraction form. Data were analysed descriptively across key themes based on the research questions. Study quality was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The systematic search generated 3994 studies, of which 9 studies met final inclusion criteria. Studies included 644 tncCVCs in infants based in the USA, Europe and Australia. Most studies were retrospective cohort studies. The most common vein of insertion, where individually specified, was the internal jugular (n = 177). Tunnel length, where reported, was 2.5-5 cm. Infection rates were most commonly reported (eight studies), with results ranging from 0 to 12.8%, and device dislodgements of up to 20% reported. Participant follow-up and definition of complications varied greatly between studies. Study quality across all papers was sound. This review has identified only a small number of studies, with small participant numbers, reporting the performance of tncCVCs in infants. Definitions of complications measured varied significantly between studies, and vastly different patient follow-up protocols were reported. Further larger-scale studies on the performance of tncCVC, employing internationally recognised reporting standards is warranted to ensure clinicians can make informed choices for medication and infusion delivery.

Combination of ketamine and fentanyl (KetaFent) for safe insertion of ultrasound-guided central venous catheters in infants.

Centrally inserted central catheters (CICCs) are placed by ultrasound guided puncture of the internal jugular or brachio-cephalic vein. It is crucial to achieve a good level of sedation and analgesia in order to keep the babies still thus reducing the risk of procedural failure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of ketamine and fentanyl during the CICC placement procedure. We retrospectively collected data from 72 infants who underwent CICC insertion after sedation with KetaFent protocol. The primary outcome was to assess the success of the procedure defined as CICC placement. Secondary outcome was intubation during the procedure in non-ventilated infants (noninvasive ventilation or spontaneous respiration), need for repeat doses of study medications to complete the procedure, time to complete the procedure, the level of analgesia assessed using vital parameters. The procedure was completed in 100% of cases. There were no cases of hypotension during and at the end of the procedure. No intubation was performed on non-ventilated infants. The combination of ketamine and fentanyl for sedation and analgesia in infants requiring insertion of a CICC is 100% successful. It is associated with a low risk of side effect like apnea and intubation. Insertion of a central venous catheter is a painful procedure for infants. Adequate sedation is mandatory to keep the baby still thus reducing the risk of procedural failure.

Ultrasound versus intracavitary electrocardiography for intraprocedural tip location during central venous catheterization in infants and children: A prospective clinical study.

Both intracavitary electrocardiography (IC-ECG) and ultrasound (US) have been proven to be safe and accurate for intraprocedural tip location during central venous catheterization, and both are known to be easily applicable and feasible in pediatric patients. Though, no prospective clinical study has directly compared the two methods as regards their applicability, feasibility, and procedural time. This study prospectively enrolled all children requiring a central venous access device in non-emergency situations, during a period of 1 year. All devices were inserted according to a well-defined insertion bundle including both IC-ECG and US-based tip location. The primary endpoint of the study was to compare the two methods in terms of applicability, feasibility and time required. This study included 100 consecutive central venous catheterizations in children of age ranging from 1 month to 18 years. The applicability of IC-ECG based tip location was 98% and its feasibility 100%; the time required for IC-ECG was 1.9 ± 2 min. The applicability of US-based tip location was 96% and its feasibility was 100%; the maneuver required 2.2 ± 3 min. US is an appropriate alternative method for intraprocedural tip location in children. The combined use of US and IC-ECG (both maneuvers being accurate, inexpensive, cost-effective, non-invasive, and equally fast to perform) should be recommended for tip location in pediatric patients, and it will avoid completely the use of fluoroscopy or of post-procedural x-ray.

Combined short-axis out-of-plane and long-axis in-plane approach versus long-axis in-plane approach for ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization in infants and small children: A randomized controlled trial.

The ultrasound-guided long-axis in-plane approach for central venous catheterization in infants and small children can prevent posterior wall penetration. The combined short-axis out-of-plane and long-axis in-plane approach reportedly prevents such penetration in adults. To test the hypothesis of non-inferiority of the combined approach to the long-axis in-plane approach, we compared the two approaches in infants and small children. Patients were randomized based on whether they underwent ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein catheterization using the combined or long-axis in-plane approach. Posterior wall penetration rates, first-attempt success rates, overall success rates within 20 min; scanning, puncture, and procedure durations; and number of attempts were compared between the groups. In the combined and long-axis in-plane groups (n = 55 per group), the posterior wall penetration rates were 5.5% (3/55) and 3.6% (2/55) (P = 0.65), the first-attempt success rates were 94.5% (52/55) and 92.7% (51/55) (P = 0.70), and the overall success rates within 20 min were 100% (55/55) and 98.2% (54/55) (P = 0.32), respectively. In the combined and long-axis in-plane groups, the median (interquartile range) scanning durations were 21 (16.5–34.8) s and 47 (29.3–65) s (P<0.0001), the puncture durations were 114 (83–170) s and 74 (52.3–117.3) s (P = 0.0002), and the procedure durations were 141 (99–97.8) s and 118 (88.5–195.5) s (P = 0.14), respectively. The median number of attempts was 1 (interquartile range: 1–1, range: 1–3) in both groups (P = 0.72). Similar to the long-axis in-plane approach, the combined approach for internal jugular vein catheterization prevented posterior wall penetration in infants and small children.Trial registration: This trial was registered before patient enrollment in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, registration number UMIN000039387 (https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-bin/ctr/ctr_view_reg.cgi?recptno=R000044907).

Time-Driven Cost Analysis of Noncuffed Venous Catheter Placement in Infants: Bedside versus IR Suite

PurposeTo compare the direct bundled costs of interventional radiology (IR) suite versus bedside placement of noncuffed central venous catheters in infants. MethodsA single-center retrospective review was performed of all noncuffed upper extremity (peripherally inserted central venous catheter [PICC]) and tunneled femoral (tunneled femoral central venous catheter [TCVC]) catheters placed in infants between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018. Propensity score matching was performed adjusting for age, birth weight, procedure weight, and catheter days. Process maps for each procedure were created based on location and sedation type. Technical success and complications were recorded for each placement. The total direct bundled cost for each catheter placement was calculated by summing the procedure and complication costs. ResultsA total of 142 procedures were performed on 126 matched patients with a technical success of 96% at the bedside and 100% in the IR suite (P = .08). The complication rates did not significantly differ between the 2 groups (P = .51). The total direct bundled costs for catheter placement were $1421.3 ± 2213.2 at the bedside and $2256.8 ± 3264.7 in the IR suite (P = .001). ConclusionsThe bundled cost of bedside femoral catheter placement is significantly less than that of fluoroscopic TCVC and PICC placement performed in the IR suite, mainly related to differences in sedation costs.

Normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) versus heparin intermittent flushing for the prevention of occlusion in long-term central venous catheters in infants and children.

Guidelines and clinical practice for the prevention of complications associated with central venous catheters (CVC) around the world vary greatly. Most institutions recommend the use of heparin to prevent occlusion; there is debate, however, regarding the need for heparin and evidence to suggest normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) may be as effective. The use of heparin is not without risk, may be unnecessary and is also associated with increased cost. This is an update of the review published in 2015. To assess the clinical effects (benefits and harms) of intermittent flushing of normal saline versus heparin to prevent occlusion in long-term central venous catheters in infants and children. The Cochrane Vascular Information Specialist searched the Cochrane Vascular Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases; World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov trials register to 9 April 2019. We also undertook reference checking, citation searching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy of intermittent flushing with normal saline versus heparin to prevent occlusion of long-term CVCs in infants and children aged up to 18 years of age. We excluded temporary CVCs and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC). Two review authors independently assessed trial inclusion criteria, trial quality and extracted data. We assessed study quality with the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool. For dichotomous outcomes, we calculated the rate ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). We pooled data using a random-effects model; and we used GRADE to assess the overall certainty of the evidence supporting the outcomes assessed in this review. We identified one new study for this update, bringing the total number of included studies to four (255 participants). The four trials directly compared the use of normal saline and heparin; the studies all used different protocols for the intervention and control arms, however, and all used different concentrations of heparin.Different frequencies of flushes were also reported between studies. In addition, not all studies reported on all outcomes. The certainty of the evidence ranged from moderate to very low because there was no blinding; heterogeneity and inconsistency between studies was high; and the CIs were wide. CVC occlusion was assessed in all four trials. We were able to pool the results of two trials for the outcomes of CVC occlusion and CVC-associated blood stream infection. The estimated RR for CVC occlusion per 1000 catheter days between the normal saline and heparin groups was 0.75 (95% CI 0.10 to 5.51; 2 studies, 229 participants; very low certainty evidence). The estimated RR for CVC-associated blood stream infection was 1.48 (95% CI 0.24 to 9.37; 2 studies, 231 participants; low-certainty evidence). The duration of catheter placement was reported to be similar for the two study arms in one study (203 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and not reported in the remaining studies. The review found that there was not enough evidence to determine the effects of intermittent flushing with normal saline versus heparin to prevent occlusion in long-term central venous catheters in infants and children. It remains unclear whether heparin is necessary to prevent occlusion, CVC-associated blood stream infection or effects duration of catheter placement. Lack of agreement between institutions around the world regarding the appropriate care and maintenance of these devices remains.

Outcome of landmark-guided percutaneously inserted tunneled central venous catheters in infants and children under 3 years with cancer.

There is a paucity of information on procedural and long-term outcomes of tunneled central venous catheters (TCVC) in infants and children younger than 3 years undergoing anticancer therapy. This study aims to evaluate the success, safety, and complications leading to surgical revision or premature removal of TCVC in this particular patient group. The clinical course of pediatric patients with percutaneous inserted TCVC, including Groshong (GC) and Hickman/Broviac (HB) catheters, has been analyzed retrospectively. The data analysis includes patient and device characteristics, adverse events during insertion, and dwell period complications. A consecutive series of 238 children undergoing implantation of 273 TCVC, including 148 (54.2%) GC and 125 (45.8%) HB catheters, with a total of 38,209 catheter days at risk (cdr) were reviewed. The patient cohort consisted of 65 (23.8%) infants, 77 (28.2%) children aged 1-2 years, and 131 (48.0%) aged 2-3 years. The overall rate of adverse events during catheter insertion was 12.8% (n=35) with no differences between age groups or devices. The overall rate of long-term complication was 28.2% (n=77, catheter risk [CR] per 1,000 cdr=1.75), with the highest prevalence in infants (P=0.01). The most common complication was late dislocation (n=24, 8.8%, CR=0.47), followed by early dislocation (n=20, 7.3%) and infection (n=18, 7.4%, CR=0.42). Percutaneous landmark-guided insertion of TCVC in neonates and small children with cancer is safe. Patterns of long-term complications are different from those for older children and should be prevented through appropriate management.

Determination of the optimal depth of a left internal jugular venous catheter in infants: A prospective observational study.

Few reports exist regarding the optimal depth of a left-sided central venous catheter in pediatric patients. We aimed to provide a guideline for the optimal depth of central venous catheters at the left internal jugular vein in infants, using anatomical landmarks, age, height, and weight. A two-stage study was conducted. In the first observational study, infants aged ≤1year and scheduled for elective surgery requiring a central venous catheter were enrolled. The tip of the central venous catheter was confirmed using transthoracic echocardiography. Linear regression modeling was performed to determine the association between the insertion depth of the central venous catheter and the I-A-B distance (I, the insertion point; A, the sternal head of the left clavicle; B, the midpoint of the perpendicular line drawn between the sternal head of the right clavicle and an imaginary line between the nipples), based on age, height, and weight. In the second study, the results of the first study were validated in another group of consecutive infants. In the first study, the data of 67 patients were analyzed. The infant's height and I-A-B distance were highly correlated with the level of the central venous catheter tip (R2 =0.763 and 0.772, respectively; all P<.01), using the regression equations 0.11× height (cm) + 0.19 and 1.02× I-A-B (cm) + 1.55, respectively. In the second study, height was also highly correlated with the insertion depth of the central venous catheter in another 42 infants (r=.938, P=<.001). In a Bland-Altman's analysis, the mean bias and precision of the actual insertion depth and predicted depth using height were 0.09 and 0.15cm, respectively. The limits of agreement were -0.19 and 0.38cm, respectively. In infants, the optimal depth of a central venous catheter at the left internal jugular vein can be determined with a simple formula using height.

CT Evaluation of Cavoatrial Junction for Optimal Placement of Central Venous Catheter in Infants

CT Evaluation of Cavoatrial Junction for Optimal Placement of Central Venous Catheter in Infants

Heparin versus 0.9% sodium chloride intermittent flushing for the prevention of occlusion in long term central venous catheters in infants and children.

Guidelines and clinical practice for the prevention of complications associated with central venous catheters (CVC) around the world vary greatly. Most institutions recommend the use of heparin to prevent occlusion, however there is debate regarding the need for heparin and evidence to suggest 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline) may be as effective. The use of heparin is not without risk, may be unnecessary and is also associated with increased cost. To assess the clinical effects (benefits and harms) of intermittent flushing of heparin versus normal saline to prevent occlusion in long term central venous catheters in infants and children. The Cochrane Vascular Trials Search Co-ordinator searched the Specialised Register (last searched April 2015) and the Cochrane Register of Studies (Issue 3, 2015). We also searched the reference lists of retrieved trials. Randomised controlled trials that compared the efficacy of normal saline with heparin to prevent occlusion of long term CVCs in infants and children aged up to 18 years of age were included. We excluded temporary CVCs and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC). Two review authors independently assessed trial inclusion criteria, trial quality and extracted data. Rate ratios were calculated for two outcome measures - occlusion of the CVC and central line-associated blood stream infection. Other outcome measures included duration of catheter placement, inability to withdraw blood from the catheter, use of urokinase or recombinant tissue plasminogen, incidence of removal or re-insertion of the catheter, or both, and other CVC-related complications such as dislocation of CVCs, other CVC site infections and thrombosis. Three trials with a total of 245 participants were included in this review. The three trials directly compared the use of normal saline and heparin, however, between studies, all used different protocols for the standard and experimental arms with different concentrations of heparin and different frequency of flushes reported. In addition, not all studies reported on all outcomes. The quality of the evidence ranged from low to very low because there was no blinding, heterogeneity and inconsistency between studies was high and the confidence intervals were wide. CVC occlusion was assessed in all three trials (243 participants). We were able to pool the results of two trials for the outcomes of CVC occlusion and CVC-associated blood stream infection. The estimated rate ratio for CVC occlusion per 1000 catheter days between the normal saline and heparin group was 0.75 (95% CI 0.10 to 5.51, two studies, 229 participants, very low quality evidence). The estimated rate ratio for CVC-associated blood stream infection was 1.48 (95% CI 0.24 to 9.37, two studies, 231 participants; low quality evidence). The duration of catheter placement was reported to be similar between the two study arms, in one study (203 participants). The review found that there was not enough evidence to determine the effects of intermittent flushing of heparin versus normal saline to prevent occlusion in long term central venous catheters in infants and children. Ultimately, if this evidence were available, the development of evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines and consistency of practice would be facilitated.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous central venous catheterization in infants: Learning curve and related complications.

Background:This study was performed to evaluate the learning curve and related complications of ultrasound (US) guided central venous catheter (CVC) insertion in infants.Materials and Methods:This study was performed in Imam Hosein Hospital of Isfahan from September 2014 to March 2015. Participants were infants consecutively candidate for CVC insertion. Three steps were designed to complement the learning. For each step of learning, 20 patients were considered and for every patient one CVC was inserted: (1) In the first step, venous puncture and guide wire passage was performed by an experienced radiologist and the surgeon was taught how to do it, then CVC was placed by the surgeon. (2) In the second step, venous puncture and guide-wire passage was performed by the surgeon under the supervision of the same radiologist, and then CVC was placed by the surgeon. (3) In the third step, US-guided CVC insertion was performed by the surgeon completely, and the radiologist came to the operating room only if it was necessary. In each of these steps, the time spent of the US probe on the skin until the guide wire passage into the vein was recorded for every patient. All perioperative complications were recorded.Results:The mean point for the time spent of the US probe on the skin until the guide wire passage into the vein was 84.9 ± 13.6, 119.1 ± 15.2, and 90.3 ± 11.2 s in the step 1, 2 and 3, respectively (P = 0.04). There was no significant difference between the frequencies of complications among tree steps.Conclusion:US-guided percutaneous CVC insertion is a safe and reliable method which can be easily and rapidly learned.

Transthoracic echocardiographic guidance for obtaining an optimal insertion length of internal jugular venous catheters in infants.

There are multiple methods of determining the optimal position of central venous catheter (CVC) tips. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and compare TTE and height-based method for correct positioning of CVCs in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. Ultrasonography-guided central venous catheterization was performed via the right internal jugular vein. Longitudinal images of the right atrium and superior vena cava were obtained using TTE. The catheter tip was located 10mm above the crista terminalis. If the catheter tip was not clearly visualized, the probe was rotated to obtain transverse images and the CVC tip was positioned at the level of the pulmonary artery bifurcation. The mean distance from the catheter tip to the level of the carina was compared with that calculated using a height-based formula. Among 106 cases, positioning of the CVC tip under TTE guidance failed in four patients; thus, the success rate was 96.2%. The mean distance from the CVC tip to the level of the carina was different for positioning using the TTE method (-3.8±8.2mm; 95% confidence interval, -5.5 to -2.2mm) and that using the height-based formula (6.1±9.6mm; 95% CI, 4.2 to 8.0mm; P=0.001). The distance was consistent regardless of the height when the insertion length was determined using TTE (r=-0.048, P>0.05). Transthoracic echocardiography is a practical method for the correct placement of the CVC tip with less variability compared to the height-based method.

A Seven-Year Survey of Management of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcal Sepsis in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Vancomycin May Not Be Necessary as Empiric Therapy

Background: The typical empiric therapy for coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CONS) sepsis includes vancomycin. In our neonatal intensive care unit, we have consistently avoided the use of vancomycin to treat CONS sepsis, except for specific cases, and have used instead cefazolin as empiric agent. Objectives: The clinical outcome of infants with CONS sepsis was evaluated in relation to the susceptibility of CONS blood isolates to cefazolin over a period of 7 years. Methods: Clinical characteristics, symptoms of sepsis and antibiotic use were studied retrospectively. Susceptibility of CONS blood isolates to cefazolin was determined by E-test. Results: Of 163 infants with proven CONS sepsis, 121/140 (86%) infants with a cefazolin-susceptible (minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) ≤8 mg/l) and 21/23 (91%) with a cefazolin-resistant (MIC ≧32 mg/l) blood isolate were treated with cefazolin. 21 (13%) infants were switched to vancomycin, in only 3 of them CONS had become resistant to cefazolin. The majority (81%) of the infants with a good response to cefazolin had the indwelling central venous catheter removed, in contrast to only 22% of the infants with cefazolin treatment failure. Median cefazolin MIC values were 0.75–2 mg/l during the study period. Conclusions: The great majority of infants with CONS sepsis was successfully treated with cefazolin. The use of vancomycin could be restricted to specific cases. Despite the consistent use of cefazolin in neonatal CONS sepsis over an extended period of time, cefazolin MIC values remained low and in the susceptible range. Removal of the central venous catheter in infants with clinical symptoms of sepsis is an important therapeutic measure.

Ultrasonic Guided Insertion of Central Venous Catheter in Infants and Children

Background/Purpose: ultrasound is licensed for application of regional blocks and insertion of vascular access. We aimed to compare ultrasonic guided (USG) and anatomical landmark technique (ALT) for insertion of central venous catheter (CVC) as regard success rate and rate of complications in infants and children. Materials & Methods: eighty childen (age ranged from 1-5 y) were classified into 2 groups, anatomical landmark technique was used to insert CVC in group I and ultrasonic guided technique was used in group II. Number of trials, duration of the procedure, and rate of complications were recorded. Results: There was a significant increase in success rate of insertion in group II as compared to group I (p = 0.001). Number of trials showed significant decrease in group II as compared to group I (p<0.0001). Incidence of arterial puncture was significantly decreased in group II (p = 0.028). Duration of the procedure was 21.3 ± 0.05 min in group I, and 12.5 ± 0.3 min in group II, ( p<0.0001). Conclusion: Insertion of central venous catheter in children should be guided with ultrasonography to avoid complications and failure of the procedure. Index Word: CV line insertion, ultrasonography.

The Optimal Depth of Central Venous Catheter for Infants Less Than 5 kg

To avoid fatal complications of central venous catheterization such as cardiac tamponade, the tip of the central venous catheter (CVC) should be placed outside of the cardiac chamber. To suggest a guideline for a proper depth of CVC in infants, we measured the distance from the skin puncture site to the junction between superior vena cava and right atrium (SVC-RA junction) by using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Fifty infants less than 5 kg undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease were enrolled in this prospective study. After the induction of general anesthesia, CVC was inserted via the right subclavian vein. After the tip of the CVC was placed at the SVC-RA junction using TEE guidance, the length of the CVC inserted beneath the skin was measured. The measured distance had a high correlation with the patient's height, weight, and age (r = 0.88, 0.76, and 0.64, respectively). In infants smaller than 5 kg, the following guideline can avoid intraatrial placement of the CVC: a depth between 40 and 45 mm for infants 2.0-3.0 kg in weight, 45-50 mm for those 3.0-3.9 kg, and 50-55 mm for those more than 4.0 kg.

Central venous catheterization in infants and children – small caliber audio‐Doppler probe versus ultrasound scanner

Ultrasound guidance for cannulation of the internal jugular vein has been shown to increase the success rate and reduce the incidence of complications in infants and children. We compared the use of a small caliber audio-Doppler probe with an ultrasound scanner for cannulation of a central venous (CV) line via the right internal jugular vein in infants and children. Fifty-two infants and 29 children scheduled for open-heart surgery were enrolled. Cannulation was guided using a small caliber audio-Doppler probe (the AU group, n = 42), or an ultrasound scanner image (the US group, n = 39). Ultimate success rate, success rate at the first attempt, success rate within 5 min, and complications were compared for the two groups. In children (>12 months), both methods were equally efficient. But in infants (<12 months), success rate at the first attempt using audio-Doppler was worse than the rate using an ultrasound scanner and there were more complications when audio-Doppler was used. We conclude that application of both the audio-Doppler and the ultrasound scanner is useful in children over 1 year of age for access to the internal jugular vein. However, in infants and neonates, the ultrasound scanner would be more useful than the audio-Doppler.

Percutaneous Central Venous Catheterization in Infants &lt;4.0 kg

We read with interest the article by Iwaski et al. [2]. An initial failure rate of approximately 48% is described for internal jugular catheterization in infants less than 4 kg body weight. Although there is likely to be institutional variation, we agree that internal jugular catheterization is more difficult in smaller infants when anatomical landmarks are used to locate the vein. Increased difficulty results from the smaller caliber of the vein, the short neck, and the increased mobility of the vein. We also believe that (when not specifically contraindicated) internal jugular catheterization is the preferred method of central venous catheterization in small infants due to the larger size of the internal jugular vein compared to lower limb veins and the relatively superficial position of the vein. Using real-time two-dimensional ultrasound to

Chlorhexidine-Impregnated Dressing for Prevention of Colonization of Central Venous Catheters in Infants and Children

Infections of short term, nontunneled, intravascular catheters are often caused by migration of organisms from the insertion site. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated dressing for the reduction of central venous catheter (CVC) colonization and CVC-associated bloodstream infections in infants and children after cardiac surgery. This prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit of a tertiary care pediatric medical center. Patients 0-18 years of age who were admitted to the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit during a 14-month period and required a CVC for >48 hours were randomized to receive a transparent polyurethane insertion site dressing (control group) or a chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated sponge (Biopatch) dressing covered by a transparent polyurethane dressing (study group). The main outcome measures were rates of bacterial colonization, rates of CVC-associated bloodstream infections and adverse events. Seventy-one patients were randomized to the control group and 74 to the study group. There were no significant between group differences in age, sex, Pediatric Risk of Mortality score or cardiac severity score. CVC colonization occurred in 21 control patients (29%) and 11 (14.8%) study patients (P = 0.0446; relative risk, 0.6166; 95% confidence interval, 0.3716-1.023). Bloodstream infection occurred in 3 patients (4.2%) in the control group and 4 patients (5.4%) in the study group. Local redness was noted in 1 control patient and 4 study group patients. The chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated sponge is safe and significantly reduces the rates of CVC colonization in infants and children after cardiac surgery.

A randomized‐controlled study of ultrasound prelocation vs anatomical landmark‐guided cannulation of the internal jugular vein in infants and children

A specifically designed ultrasound scanner may be helpful in percutaneous cannulation of the internal jugular vein in pediatric patients. We report a new two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound prelocation (UL) technique using a transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) intraoperative probe instead of the portable scanner, and have compared the new technique with conventional anatomical landmark method (AL) for central venous catheterization in infants and children. Sixty-two infants (body weight <12 kg) undergoing elective surgery for congenital heart disease were randomized into two groups. In the AL group, the landmark for cannulation was the palpation of the common carotid pulsation or the sternocleidomastoid triangle. In the UL group, the central vein was located by 2D ultrasonic imaging using a TEE intraoperative probe for HP SONOS 4500. The number of cannulation attempts, success rate, and complication rate were recorded. For the UL and AL groups, the cannulation success rate was 100% and 80% (P < 0.05), the incidence of arterial puncture was 3.1% and 26.7% (P < 0.025), and the number of attempts was 1.57 +/- 1.04 and 2.55 +/- 1.76 (P < 0.001), respectively. Two-dimensional ultrasound prelocated central venous catheterization in infants and children is convenient and can markedly increase cannulation success rate and reduce the incidence of complications.

Comparison of Central Venous Catheterization Sites in Infants

This study aimed to compare the rates of success and complications between different sites of central venous catheterization in infants. A total of 272 infants were randomized to four groups: right subclavian group (G-RSCV), right internal jugular group (G-RIJV), left subclavian group (G-LSCV) and left internal jugular vein group (G-LIJV). In 77.2% of the patients, we successfully introduced a catheter at the first attempt. The rate of successful catheter placement was highest in the and LSCV 55.9%). With regard to complications, the rate of arterial puncture, guide wire advancement failure and malpositioning of the catheter were all significantly more frequent during SCV catheterization (SCV versus IJV: 10.1% versus 2.1%, 12.4% versus 0% and 13.4% versus 0.6%, respectively). Our results imply that IJV, especially RIJV, should be the first choice for central venous catheterization in infants.