Central Venous Catheter Cannulation in Pediatric Anesthesia and Intensive Care: A Prospective Observational Trial

Václav Vafek1,2, Tamara Skříšovská1,2, Martina Kosinová1,2

  • 1Department of Paediatric Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Jihlavská 20, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic.

Insights

Ultrasound-guided central venous catheter (CVC) insertion showed a trend towards higher success rates in pediatric patients compared to landmark-based methods. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and optimize CVC placement.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Medical Imaging and Ultrasound Applications
  • Vascular Access Procedures

Background:

  • Ultrasound-guided central venous catheter (CVC) insertion is the recommended practice for pediatric patients.
  • Clinical adherence to ultrasound guidance for CVC placement may vary.
  • Anatomic-based (landmark) CVC insertion remains an alternative method.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the overall and first-attempt success rates of ultrasound-guided versus landmark-based CVC insertion in pediatric patients.
  • To evaluate the incidence of complications associated with each CVC insertion method.
  • To assess and compare the procedural time for both techniques.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study involving 107 pediatric patients undergoing CVC insertion.
  • Physicians could choose between real-time ultrasound navigation and landmark-based methods.
  • Data collected included success rates, complication incidence, and procedural duration.

Main Results:

  • Overall success rates were 100% for ultrasound guidance and 96.4% for landmark methods (p=0.496).
  • First-attempt success rates were 57.7% for ultrasound and 45.5% for landmark methods (p=0.460).
  • Ultrasound guidance demonstrated higher, though not statistically significant, success rates for both overall and first attempts.

Conclusions:

  • Real-time ultrasound navigation for pediatric CVC insertion shows a trend towards improved success rates compared to the landmark method.
  • While not statistically significant in this study, the observed higher success rates support the continued use and recommendation of ultrasound guidance.
  • Further investigation with larger sample sizes may be warranted to definitively establish the superiority of ultrasound guidance for pediatric CVC insertion.