title: Advantages of dual-lumen umbilical vessel catheters versus single-lumen umbilical vessel catheters and additional peripheral intravenous catheters.
abstract: Once the decision to place an umbilical venous catheter has been made, the opportunity to provide some relief to the patient clinically as well as fiscally is possible with the use of a dual-lumen umbilical vessel catheter (UVC). Although the necessity of catheterization of the umbilical vein remains controversial, successful completion of this procedure provides the practitioner immediate access to the venous circulation of a newborn and allows administration of various solutions and blood products. The cost of a dual-lumen UVC was compared with a single-lumen UVC used in conjunction with peripheral intravenous catheters. By limiting the number of peripheral intravenous catheterization attempts, these patients are spared the pain and possible sequelae associated with wide fluctuations in blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygenation. Once a patient requires more than two peripheral intravenous catheterization attempts, the cost savings of a dual-lumen UVC becomes evident and is amplified with each successive peripheral catheterization attempt.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans, La., USA.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
mesh_terms: D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017046:Cost Savings; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D014471:Umbilical Veins