title: History and current application of intravenous therapy in children.
abstract: More than 36,000,000 individuals in the United States were hospitalized in 1985, and, on the average, 25% of hospitalized patients have insertion of an intravenous catheter (IVC). Considering those 9,000,000 IVC placements in 1985, it may be surprising to learn that "modern" intravenous (IV) therapy has a lifetime that is barely 40 years old. For the pediatrician, IV access holds particular importance, since its acquisition is often the rate-limiting step in initiation of a therapeutic plan, particularly in the setting of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This article is a review of the nearly 500-year history of IV therapy and an overview of the IV techniques and products currently available for use in pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Critical Care, University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital, Madison.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Strauss
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000266:history; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000266:history; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000266:history; D002648:Child; D005060:Europe; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000266:history; D014481:United States