A quicker simpler method of pre-determination of the length of umbilical artery catheter insertion in Asian babies.
A total of 50 neonates with birth weights varying from 919 gm to 5 kg with acute respiratory distress were studied for umbilical artery catheter placement in the thoracic aorta at T7 to T11 vertebral body level. The length of the catheter to be inserted was by a simple formula ie. for a 1000 gm baby, the length of insertion is 10 cm (delete the 00 from 1000 gm), and add 1 cm for each additional weight group of 250 gm till 2250 gm. Above 2250 gm, the length of insertion is 15 cm for all babies. Considering the 49 babies whose birth weights were more than a kg, 47 babies had catheter tips located at T7 and T11 vertebral body level. This method was thus accurate in 95.9% of babies studied.
M S
MS
Lin
Y J
YJ
Lim
N K
NK
Ho
D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D044466:Asian People; D001724:Birth Weight; D002138:Calibration; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D004869:Equipment Safety; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D014469:Umbilical Arteries