The preliminary study of feasibility of placing peripherally inserted central catheter in premature infants by Color Doppler Flow Imaging

Objective To observe the influence on the blood flow of premature infant′s veins of upper extremity after placing peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), and to study feasibility of PICC by Color Doppler Flow Imaging. Methods Fifty six infants were divided into three groups according to the time of the PICC placed: in groupⅠPICC was placed for less than15d, in group Ⅱthe time of PICC placement was between15 days and 30days, in group Ⅲthe time was longer than 30 days Twenty six inflants were also observed after the catheter had been removed. In comparative study of the bilateral axillary veins, the maximum velocity of systolic flow (Vs), the maximum velocity of diastolic flow (Vd), and the diameter of blood vessel (D) were measured by Color Doppler Flow Imaging(CDFI). Results In the fifty six infants of 3 groups, Vs and Vd of the axillary vein inserted with PICC were significantly lower than the contralateral side (Vs: 14.37±4.43 and 20.71±4.81, P 0.01; Vd:9.80±2.83 and 13.52±3.04, P 0.01, while D of the axillary vein with PICC placed was significantly larger than the contralateral side(0.24±0.02 and 0.19±0.02, P 0.01). But no significant difference of the parameters between the bilateral sides was revealed after decannulation.Conclusion PICC slows down the blood flow rate of the veins of upper extremity, but there was no sequel after catheter is removed, which is a good veinous access. And PICC should be closely monitored by the clinic and CDFI..