Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Vein Access for Placement of Broviac Catheters in Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonates: A Series of 3 Successful Cases

J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2015 Nov;25(11):958-60. doi: 10.1089/lap.2015.0315. Epub 2015 Aug 19.

Abstract

As medical and surgical interventions to support premature infants have evolved, the need for long-term vascular access in extremely low birth weight infants has increased. The classic approach to Broviac(®) (C.R. Bard, Covington, GA) catheter placement in very small neonates has been through an open surgical cutdown technique. Ultrasound guidance has emerged as a potentially beneficial method for obtaining central venous access in children and is being applied to smaller and smaller infants. This case series reports the feasibility of using ultrasound-guided percutaneous vein access to obtain a long-term central venous line in three extremely low birth weight infants who all weighed less than 850 g at the time of line placement.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Catheterization, Central Venous / methods*
  • Catheters, Indwelling*
  • Equipment Design
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature*
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases / therapy*
  • Male
  • Ultrasonography, Interventional / methods*