[Evaluation of peripherally inserted central catheters in high risk newborns]

To evaluate the feasibility and safety of the peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) as a venous access for newborns who need a long-term venous transfusion.

Sixty-five newborns receiving PICC and 80 newborns receiving peripheral intravenous catheters (PIV) from April 2006 to February 2008 were included in this study. A retrospective cohort study was used to compare the indwelling time of catheters, catheter-related mechanical complications, the incidence of sepsis, and the mortality between the two groups.

The indwelling time of catheters in the PICC and the PIV groups was 18.75+/-7.62 days (range:7-62 days) and 1.49+/-0.57 days (range: 30 minutes to 4 days) respectively. The indwelling time of catheters in the PICC group was significantly longer than that in the PIV group (<0.01). The incidence of catheter-related mechanical complications in the PICC group was significantly lower than that in the PIV group (27.7% vs 63.8%; <0.01). There were no significant differences in the incidence of sepsis and the mortality between the two groups.

The application of PICC can cause a decrease in the number of venous puncture. PICC is a safe and effective venous access in newborns.