In our set up, we are using only the peripheral lines ( No central line). We encounter difficulty > 7 days of NICU care. When we called to help, it's really difficult to get a line . Do you have any easy way for starting a peripheral iv line ? any good old advice from experience?.

Thanks

dr.r.selvan

India

How about using UVCs?

We have exprience with long-term UVCs use as alternative to PICCs in preterm infants.

In our units, peripherally inserted central lines are pretty common.

Some nurses have been trained to insert these lines.

The procedure is simple

1) a regular peripheral venous canula (PVC) is inserted

2) a 27G line is inserted through the canula to a desired length (needs to be checked with x-ray)

3) the PVC is pulled back over the line and taped together with the outer end of the line

I do not work much clinically these days (since I am working for the Swedish Medical Journal) but will take some photos when I get the opportunity.

Hello Dr. Selvan...

we usually use umbilical venous catheter for the first 7 day, I think it's very easy and simple and not expensive, then we use peripheral caentral ven for 20 days

Dr. Abbas Darwiche

head of NICU

LebanoItalian Hospital

If the neonate coming into NICU IS EXTREMELY PRETERM,Surgically high risk,MAS,PPHN as a practice we insert a peripheral arterial line in the left hand for sampling and ABG AND ALSO FOR IBP monitoring.By doing this ,many access sites are saved of a puncture.We secure a PICC line for TPN administration.And lastly we do something without evidence based that is to provide magsulph dressing to the IV site as soon as the canula is removed,this helps us for recycling the sites in the near future 3-5days