title: Central venous catheters. Technique and experience at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, 1987-1990.
abstract: Central venous catheters can be of major benefit to children in whom prolonged intravenous access is required. For their everyday use, however, the known associated morbidity needs to be at an acceptably low level. Experience with 44 central venous catheters in 31 children (3318 catheter days over a 40-month period) is reported. The complication rate of catheter sepsis (0.3/100 catheter days), thrombosis (1 catheter), and technical problems (17, of which 6 required removal) justified catheter usage. Provided catheters are correctly inserted and the patients meticulously nursed, these catheters offer major advantages to infants and children requiring long-term intravenous access, particularly for parenteral nutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knobel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cywes
mesh_terms: D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000379:methods*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods