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Transillumination of the palm for venipuncture in infants
Aim:
To assess the efficacy of transillumination of the palm of the hand in establishing venous access in small infants.
Methods:
One hundred infants aged 2 to 36 months were considered for venipuncture under transillumination following failure to find an accessible vein or a failed venipuncture attempt.
Results:
In 40 of the 100 infants, a vein was visible with transillumination. In 22 of these children, previous attempts to achieve a venous line failed (mean number of failed venipunctures 2.11 +/- 0.6) and in 18 infants, no vein could be identified. Using transillumination, venous access was established with just one venipuncture in 39 of the 40 patients.
Conclusions:
Transillumination of the palm can aid in establishing venous access in infants. This can be easily carried out using a common otoscope.