title: Immediate complications of percutaneous central venous cannulation in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the incidence of immediate complications associated with percutaneous central venous catheterization.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 103 central venous catheters were inserted in 70 children over a period of 18 months, governed by a uniform protocol. Sixty-three percent of the catheters were inserted in neonates, 23.3% in infants and 13.6% in children between 1 and 12 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Software SPSS version 15.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 41 insertion-related immediate complications, of which 75.6% were in neonates. Neonatal age, hemodynamic instability and more number of attempts to catheterize the vein had a higher risk of insertion-related problems. There was no mortality directly as a result of the procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our practice, it was observed that complications were fewer with increasing familiarity with the procedure. Hence, percutaneous central venous catheterization is a safe procedure when performed in experienced hands.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors: Geetika
authors: G
authors: Dheer
authors: Gurmeet Kaur
authors: GK
authors: Chaudhry
authors: Tejinder
authors: T
authors: Singh