Comparison of Catheter Functionality and Post-Procedural Consequences in Vascular Access Through Saphenofemoral Cutdown and Percutaneus Jugu-lar Vein Catheterization among Children and Neonates

Achievement of a vascular access in pediatric patients is a very difficult, time-consuming, and boring process. The present study aimed to evaluate the patency of the two vascu-lar access catheterization techniques including percutaneus IJV cannulation and saphenofemoral cutdown in terms of the functional time of catheterization and the complications of these two vas-cular access methods among the neonatal and pediatric patients.

This prospective interventional case series study was conducted on 88 children admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and needing an intravenous cannulation. The study population was randomly (using a computerized random number table) assigned into two groups undergoing vascu-lar catheterization by saphenous vein cutdown (n=59) and percutaneus internal jugular vein cathe-terization (n=29). The two groups were compared regarding the rates of catheter blockage; vein thrombosis and infection. The data were analyzed using SPSS software.

The duration of catheter functionality was significantly shorter in the saphenofemoral vein cutdown group than that in the internal jugular vein catheterization group (11.4±12.2 and 14.82±11.39, respectively; P = 0.021). However, we showed no significant difference between the two groups in the prevalence rate of hematoma (p = 0.794), bleeding (p = 0.601), catheter blockage (p = 0.989), site infection (p = 0.684), sepsis (p = 0.937), vein thrombosis (P = 0.999), hemothorax (p = 0.937) and pneumothorax (p = 0.937).

Vascular access through internal jugular vein resulted in a longer functional catheteriza-tion in ICU admitted children, compared to saphenofemoral vein cutdown, without any difference in other technical-related outcomes.