We are planning to replace our single lumen UVCs with double lumen UVCs in premature infants less than 800 grams. We plan to use these double lumen UVCs mainly for TPN and drug infusions. Is it safe from the infection point of view to use them for transfusion of packed cells and plasma?

We are planning to replace our single lumen UVCs with double lumen UVCs in premature infants less than 800 grams. We plan to use these double lumen UVCs mainly for TPN and drug infusions. Is it safe from the infection point of view to use them for transfusion of packed cells and plasma?

Dear Colleague,

as far as i am informed, the infection issue is not a problem, you can give whatever drug/solution you want. But we usually don´t give blood products centrally because of the thought that the possible anaphylactic transfusion reaction (if there is one) could be limited when a peripheral line is used (the reaction isn´t triggered centrally). I know that there are institutions that give blood products in a separate central line (University of Freiburg, Germany). The fact, that the reaction rarely starts within minutes, but within days or weeks, weakens the theory mentioned above aswell...

There are currently two good articles focussing on the subject of catheter related bloodstream infections.

annie dixon (2009) infection and central vascular acces devices, Infant,5(2):55-60 this author states that the one of the indications for the use of an umbilical venous catheter would be administration of blood products...

Curry S, Honeycutt M, Goins G, and Gilliam C (2009) Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections in the NICU: Getting to Zero, Neonatal network : NN 28(3):151-5,

hope that helps

We have used double lumen catheters in bigger babies very efectively and certainly have administered blood products with no apparent adverse reactions.