Background: There are many techniques for long-term central venous catheter (CVC) placement, but none of them are specific for pediatric patients or focused on the delivered dose of ionizing radiation.
Materials and methods: This retrospective study examined a sample of pediatric patients who received percutaneous long-term CVC positioning in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Effective dose, dose-area product (DAP) and length of time of exposition during the procedure were determined, using an appropriate technical procedure, exam and program set of the angiograph, and compared with an unpaired t-test analysis.
Results: The study included 1410 enrolled patients, with a median age of 10 years (range 0.2-18 years), between 2016 and 2019. In 2016 (318 pts), the mean effective dose was 0.13 mSv and the mean DAP dose was 18.95 µGy/m2 In 2017 (353 pts), the mean effective dose was 0.11 mSv and the mean DAP dose was 17.26 µGy/m2. In 2018 (351 pts), the mean effective dose was 0.05 mSv and the mean DAP dose was 7.23 µGy/m2. In 2019 (388 pts), the mean effective dose was 0.02 mSv and the mean DAP dose was 3.10 µGy/m2.
Conclusions: Medical and technical expertise led to a remarkable reduction in the radiation dose. Therefore, the authors' hypothesis is that US- and fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous long-term CVC insertion technique is safer, more cost-effective and lower in terms of radiation exposure if correctly applied, compared to surgical or percutaneous by direct puncture techniques.
Keywords: central venous catheter; children; dose area product; effective dose; ionizing radiation; newborns; pediatric patients; preterm neonates; safety; ultrasound.