title: Percutaneous arterial cannulation in children. Concurrent and subsequent adequacy of blood flow at the wrist.
abstract: For percutaneous arterial monitoring in children, the Medicut (polypropylene) is an appropriate choice of cannula. Morbidity associated with its use is low. We studied blood flow and clinical signs relating to 70 arterial cannulations in 62 patients. In the few patients exhibiting flow disturbances either whilst the cannula was in situ or following decannulation, we observed no associated clinical signs of vascular insufficiency of the forearm, wrist or digits. Also, most patients showed normal, antegrade blood flow past the cannula in situ and following decannulation. Eight patients showed retrograde flow which, in six cases, spontaneously reverted to normal whilst the child was still in hospital. The results of this study increased our confidence in the appropriateness, safety and ease of use of these polypropylene cannulae in children where peripheral arterial vessel diameters are small.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000758:Anesthesia; D001158:Arteries; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013997:Time Factors; D014953:Wrist / Q000098:blood supply*