Immediate complications of percutaneous central venous cannulation in children

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of immediate complications associated with percutaneous central venous catheterization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 103 central venous catheters were inserted in 70 children over a period of 18 months, governed by a uniform protocol. Sixty-three percent of the catheters were inserted in neonates, 23.3% in infants and 13.6% in children between 1 and 12 years of age. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Software SPSS version 15. RESULTS: There were a total of 41 insertion-related immediate complications, of which 75.6% were in neonates. Neonatal age, hemodynamic instability and more number of attempts to catheterize the vein had a higher risk of insertion-related problems. There was no mortality directly as a result of the procedure. CONCLUSION: In our practice, it was observed that complications were fewer with increasing familiarity with the procedure. Hence, percutaneous central venous catheterization is a safe procedure when performed in experienced hands.