Ultrasound-Guided PICC Placement in Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonates

What is it about?

A large body of evidence has demonstrated that using ultrasound technology to guide vascular access improves patient care, promotes success, enhances safety, and reduces complications. This article will empower NICU clinicians to improve outcomes for neonates and their families by advancing knowledge and provide superior patient care. The article will: -Describe ultrasound guided PICC insertion in two ELBW infants -Highlight the advantages of using a dynamic, real-time US-guided technique -Identify barriers to integrating the dynamic US guided PICC insertion technique into clinical practice -Discuss strategies to foster implementation of US-guided PICC placement in the neonatal setting

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Photo by Alex Hockett on Unsplash

Photo by Alex Hockett on Unsplash

Why is it important?

US-guided PICC insertion is a standard of care for pediatrics and adults, yet its use in the neonatal setting has not been integrated into practice. US-guided PICC placement is a safe and effective technique that improves patient health outcomes by fewer first-time/overall attempts, needle punctures, reduced complications i.e. infection and thrombosis, decreased procedure time/pain and lower cost. US guided PICC placement performed by a skilled, experienced clinician further improves outcomes and reduces the risk of complications.

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