Intracavitary electrocardiogram guidance for placement of peripherally inserted central catheters in premature infants

This study evaluated the accuracy of intracavitary electrocardiogram (IC-ECG) guidance for placement of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in premature infants, relative to chest X-ray. Premature infants (n = 173) underwent placement of a PICC monitored by ECG, and a stable heart rhythm was shown. Changes in the P wave of the ECG reflected the position of the catheter tip, and a characterized P wave indicated the correct position. The P wave results were compared with a chest X-ray. P wave changes were observed in 157 (90.75%) of the premature infants on the ECG. Among them, the catheter tips of 148 (85.55%) and nine (5.20%) patients were in the correct and non-correct position, respectively, which was confirmed by chest X-ray. No characteristic P wave changes were observed in 16 (9.32%) patients on ECG, in which the catheter tips of eight (4.62%) patients each were in the correct and non-correct position, according to the chest X-ray. The accuracy of IC-ECG guidance for placement of the PICC was 90.17%. The PICC tip location results of the IC-ECGs were statistically similar to that of the chest X-rays. IC-ECG guidance is accurate for placement of PICC in premature infants, and provides an economical assessment without radiation.