Objective/background: Ultrasound (US) facilitates central venous catheter (CVC) placement in children. A new supraclavicular approach using the brachiocephalic vein (BCV) for US-guided CVC placement in very small children has been recently described. In 2012, we changed our departmental standard and used the left BCV as preferred puncture site during CVC placement. In our retrospective analysis, we compared US-guided cannulation of the BCV with other puncture sites (control).
Design/materials and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all CVC cannulations from October 2012 to October 2013 in our department. For cannulation of the BCV, the in-plane technique was used to guide the needle into the target vein.
Results: We performed CVC cannulations in 106 children (age 1-day to 18 years). In 29 patients, the weight was <4.5 kg. CVC placement was successful in all patients. The left BCV could be used in 81.1% of all cases. In a Poisson regression model of punctures regressed by age, weight or group (left BCV vs. control), age, weight or the cannulation site did not influence the number of punctures. In a logistic regression model of complications (yes vs. no) regressed by the group (left brachiocephalic vs. control) an odds ratio of 0.15 was observed (95% confidence interval 0.03-0.72, P likelihood ratio test = 0.007).
Conclusion: US-guided puncture of the left BCV is a safe method of CVC placement in children. The use of the left BCV was associated with a high success rate in our retrospective analysis.
Keywords: Brachiocephalic vein; central venous catheter; children; infant; ultrasonography; ultrasound.